'The Rings of Power' Expands 'LotR' Lore — Will Gandalf Appear in the Series?

It's a new age of prequels for our favorite fantasy franchises. Game of Thrones fans are currently flocking to House of the Dragon on HBO, which was renewed for a second season less than a week since the series premiered.

Then there's The Rings of Power on Prime Video. This new series takes place in the world of Lord of the Rings and further expands the world originally conceived by fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien.

Fans of the long-standing fantasy franchise will soon be able to dive right back into the history of Middle-earth and get a deeper look into its sprawling lore. But even for a prequel series, we just love it when a show includes nods and cameos of our favorite characters!

With The Rings of Power on the horizon, fans are wondering if Gandalf will appear in the show. Here's what we know so far about who from LoTR will appear.

The Rings of Power takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and subsequently, The Lord of the Rings. It depicts Middle-earth during its "Second Age," when the titular Rings of Power are first forged. The series will also focus on the beginnings of the Dark Lord Sauron and the deterioration of the political ties between Elves and Men.

Essentially, it's a prequel series that sets the events of the popular story into motion.

What are the chances that fan-favorite Gandalf will appear in the series? Even those new to the series could easily recognize the wizard who guides Frodo along his quest to destroy the One Ring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In both the first trilogy and the Hobbit films, he is portrayed by Sir Ian McKellan.

Canonically, Gandalf has been around for thousands of years by the time he even meets Bilbo Baggins to kick off the events of The Hobbit. But does that mean he could show up in The Rings of Power?

From what we can tell, it's not likely. The Rings of Power takes place firmly in the Second Age of Middle-earth, a period of time that spans several millennia on its own already. According to known lore, Gandalf doesn't appear in Middle-earth until the Third Age. Even for as old as Gandalf is, the Prime Video series predates his arrival by quite a while.

While Gandalf's arrival in the series isn't exactly on the horizon, there are plenty of known Lord of the Rings characters who are set to appear in the new show. A young version of the half-Elven politician Elrond is a major character in the series and will be portrayed by actor Robert Aramayo.

A young Isildur (Maxim Baldry) will also make an appearance. Morfydd Clark portrays a young Galadriel, an Elven warrior who senses the dangers facing Middle-earth.

The Rings of Power will begin streaming on Prime Video starting Sept. 1.