"Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside."
While we're not putting too much stock in this one just yet, a new rumor doing the rounds online is claiming that Tom Bombadil will make his debut during the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
According to TheOneRing.net - who has shared some accurate scoops in the past - Bombadil has already been cast, and has been name-dropped by crew members on set.
If you've read Tolkien's seminal trilogy, you should be very familiar with this mysterious character, who was introduced along with his wife Goldberry when Frodo and his company made their way through the Old Forest in The Fellowship of the Ring. Bombadil was clearly a very powerful individual, who was actually able to put the ring on without turning invisible or being influenced by its evil.
Tolkien never revealed much about old Tom, but he claimed to have existed before the Dark Lord came to Arda, leading to speculation that he may even have been alive even before the coming of the Valar. If the character is set to feature in season 2 of The Rings of Power, this gives the show quite a bit of creative freedom.
Fans were very disappointed that Bombadil didn't appear in Peter Jackson's trilogy, although the chapters he features in are generally seen as being a little superfluous to the main story.
We'll be sure to keep you updated if and when we learn more, but for now, let us know what you think about the prospect of Tom Bombadil showing up in The Rings of Power in the comments section.