The Rings Of Power Season 4 Happening Is Great For Morgoth Fans

Prime Video is less than a year away from beginning production on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 4, which is excellent news for those hoping to see a little Morgoth content. The third season of this Lord of the Rings prequel series is set to premiere in November 2026, but season 4 has yet to be officially greenlit. Still, it's very unlikely that Prime will not follow through on its original five-season plan for Rings of Power, so showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are preparing to begin filming in early 2027.

With Rings of Power season 4 all but guaranteed, the upcoming season 3 can lean all in on this next stage in the story. The 2026 episodes will pick up after a several-year time jump, diving into the fiercest years of the War of the Elves and Sauron. This is when the Lord of the Rings villain finally begins crafting his One Ring, which he will use to control the Seven and Nine he created with Celebrimbor in season 2. Taking into consideration J.R.R. Tolkien's timeline and The Rings of Power's established pacing, we can likely expect season 3 to end with Sauron being captured and taken back to Númenor.

This would mean that the upcoming Rings of Power season 4 will revolve around Sauron's corruption of Númenor and the island's ultimate downfall. This a significant moment in the Second Age timeline, and one Rings of Power has been wortking toward for quite a while. Sauran's manipulation in Eregion will seem small compared to what he pulls off in Númenor, since, in canon, this villain successfully gets the islanders to worship his old master, Morgoth.

Morgoth's Potential Role In The Rings Of Power Season 4 Explained

During the events of Rings of Power, Morgoth is imprisoned in the void and wholly unable to return to Middle-earth (not yet anyway), so this original Lord of the Rings villain won't be a physical character in season 4's story. However, Sauron uses the name of his old master to manipulate the people of Númenor, and this is sure to be brought to the screen.

As we see in Rings of Power's first two seasons, tensions are high in this island kingdom, and this has a lot to do with the people's resentment toward elves. Sauron ultimately convinces the Númenóreans that the Valar and the Lord of the Rings' god, Eru Ilúvatar, has withheld immortality from them. He claims that Morgoth's goal was only ever to save Men from death and grant them eternal life, and establishes a temple in Númenor in the Dark Lord's honor.

Sauron doesn't do this out of any residual loyalty toward Morgoth. Rather, he knows that the Númenóreans are more likely to revere him as a humble servant of Morgoth than to worship him directly. While falsely representing his old master, Sauron can manipulate these new cultish followers however he chooses.

Since Rings of Power has leaned heavily into Sauron's psychological and emotional motivations, this storyline in season 4 will likely include further exploration of his perspective on and relationship with Morgoth. It's a valuable chance to finally see some of Morgoth's reign on screen, perhaps through a flashback scene or two.

Please, Amazon, Give Us First Age Morgoth Flashbacks In The Rings Of Power Season 4

Sauron is the primary villain of The Lord of the Rings, but in all actuality, he's rather small peanuts compared to Morgoth. While Sauron was originally an angel-like being (Maiar), Morgoth was essentially a demi-god (a Valar) and, therefore, had power far beyond his lieutenant. It's for this reason that fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's work have been so desperate to see First Age stories brought to the screen. Unfortunately, given restrictions on adaptation rights, this has been easier said than done.

Rings of Power season 1 gave us a look at Morgoth's shadow, but it cut short of actually putting the character on screen. Perhaps season 4 will be the perfect opportunity to finally make this villain more than an unseen force of the past. There are several valuable scenes worth exploring, especially as they relate to Morgoth and Sauron's differing ideas of domination. Only time will tell, but given the current trajectory, there's reason to hope.