The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 gave Amazon Prime Video audiences a glimpse into several backstories in Middle-earth. But one perhaps unexpected aspect was the origin of mithril, the mystical ore noted for being light as a feather and tough as dragon scales. This discovery in the show brought on a tense scene between two characters, and one of the actors involved had rather candid thoughts on the ordeal.
In The Rings of Power, the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm discovered a vein of mithril while mining. This previously undiscovered ore became a huge plot point for the show and The Lord of the Rings mythos. When it was discovered that a shard of mithril healed a poisoned leaf from the Elven Lindon tree, Dwarven prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and Elven advisor Elrond (Robert Aramayo) realized that this breakthrough could be what saves the Elves from their slow loss of immortality. But King Durin III (Peter Mullan) had other plans that his actor agrees with.
In a recent interview with Collider, Mullan spoke about his thoughts on the scene where Durin III denies the Elves their request to share the mithril due to his focus on his people. Many saw this as selfish, particularly since it effectively condemns the Elves to die. But Mullan had his viewpoint. "I absolutely agree with that decision," he said with a smirk when asked how he would have handled the situation. "They're boring as all hell, and kill the Elves! That comes from the Dwarf. King Dwarf says the Elves deserve everything they get. They're too big, literally and metaphorically. Get rid!"
Even though the Elves eventually did get enough mithril to create 3 Rings of Power, Mullan appears confident in his character's decision. Or, at the very least, he doesn't care much for the lore. The actor confirmed as much later in the interview when asked about his familiarity with J.R.R. Tolkien's works and The Lord of the Rings in general. "Oh, well, I would hope no fan would ever come up to me because I don't have a clue about Tolkien or his world," he said with a laugh. "I would be more Dickens and Shakespeare in terms of the classic, and Dostoevsky, I was more a Dostoevsky kind of guy! Lord of the Rings? Never, no, I had no feelings one way or the other for it. I liked the first film that [Peter] Jackson did, other than that, I didn't watch any of the whole bits or the other ones."
Mullan isn't alone right now, as many fans weren't exactly into the slow burn of The Rings of Power's first season. But that's not to say he was completely indifferent to the whole experience. He considered the filming locations a big draw. "I didn't know anything about the world at all," he said before adding a little concession, "but I liked the idea of doing– well, I loved the idea of going to New Zealand, and I loved the idea of just doing something that involved all that kind of silliness, you know?"
It's not difficult to see where Mullan is coming from. The Lord of the Rings, as influential as it is within the fantasy genre, does have plenty of silliness to go around. Talking trees, wizards, a raspy-voiced little guy who likes raw fish and wants his ring back; it's unique in its oddities. Of course, that hasn't prevented overzealous fans from taking it seriously enough to throw racist attacks at Rings of Power actors. But there's plenty of value in The Lord of the Rings in ways serious and satisfyingly absurd.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Collider