Cameras are currently rolling on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in the UK, and a newly surfaced set photo - via Redanian Intelligence - confirms a major character who seemingly died in season 1 will return.
This isn't a massive surprise, but as you can see by following the link in the Tweet below, Maxim Baldry is back as Isildur.
It was during The Rings of Power's first season that we saw the character seemingly die inside a burning hut after saving Queen Míriel's life. That came when the citizens of Númenor took a stand in the Soundlands against the orcs, and while it was a suitably heroic sacrifice, it was also one that upset a lot of fans. After all, his demise would be quite the divergence from J.R.R. Tolkien's novels!
In The Fellowship of the Ring book and movie, the story opens with Isildur cutting the One Ring off Sauron's hand after his father is killed. That led to the destruction of the villain's physical form and saw Isildur himself corrupted by the One Ring's power.
Ultimately, he lost his prize when a group of orcs who had been drawn to its power attacked him and his men. The One Ring then ended up in a river in Gladden Fields where it remained until Smeagol discovered it years later, transforming him into Gollum as the years passed.
We may eventually get to see some of that in The Rings of Power, though there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the show's future given its high production costs and the fact there are now big screen plans to expand the franchise.
Going back to Isildur, though, we're guessing he'll get to break free of his father's shadow in season 2 to embark on an adventure of his own.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is expected to premiere on Prime Video next year.