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Daniel Weyman has opened up about Gandalf‘s evolution in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3. The actor explained that the character’s journey has changed following the reveal of his true identity in the previous season.
In an interview with The DirectWeyman was asked how finally embracing Gandalf’s identity had affected his experience on the show and his performance in Season 3. The actor explained, “I think what’s always been fun for me is that the outside, you know, the audience world has always been thinking, who is he? What’s he going to become? Is it something we recognize? But from inside the journey, that hasn’t been my experience at all. My experience has really been learning about my character, scene-by-scene, over the first two seasons, so that when eventually we recognize Gandalf somewhere, I already feel like I’m playing him, so there wasn’t a huge gap really between The Stranger and Gandalf.”
With the character now officially identified as Gandalf, Season 3 will allow Weyman to explore a different stage of the wizard’s journey. Rather than continuing to discover who he is, the actor can focus on how Gandalf’s growing understanding of himself influences his actions and relationships with those around him.
How the five-year time jump changed Gandalf in The Rings of Power
During the interview, Weyman also revealed that the five-year jump between Season 2 and Season 3 marks a significant shift in his character’s understanding of his identity and place in the world. The actor continued, “I think there was definitely something that happened in this five-year time jump between [Seasons 2 and 3]where we see him fully embrace his eternal being. You know, the fact that he has always been around and he always will be in some form. Maybe not as Gandalf on Middle-earth, but definitely in the universe, and what has that done? Well, I think it’s opened up my journey.”
Furthermore, according to the actor, this development has “relaxed the idea of needing to control things,” allowing Gandalf to listen to others rather than feeling compelled to manage every situation himself. This also gives his character room to spend time with different beings, understand their perspectives, and recognize their potential for good.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 is set to premiere on November 11, 2026, on Prime Video. The season will consist of eight episodes, with the first four airing on premiere day, followed by two on November 18 and the final two on November 25.