Rory Kinnear’s first look as Rings of Power’s Tom Bombadil was met with harsh criticism. He is one of the most complicated figures in J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore and one that’s difficult to bring to the screen.
Many have made remarks on his appearance, while others were worried that his portrayal would bring the franchise to its ruin. Whatever the reasons of the fans, it seems like Kinnear will have a tough time justifying his role.
Rings Of Power Season 2 Introduces Tom Bombadil
In an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair, showrunner J.D. Payne explained how they brainstormed the introduction of Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil in the upcoming sequel to Rings of Power.
There’s a reason why he hasn’t been in prior adaptations, because in some ways, he’s sort of an anti-dramatic character. He’s not a character who has a particularly strong agenda. He observes drama, but largely doesn’t participate in it. In The Fellowship of the Ring, the characters kind of just go there and hang out for a while, and Tom drops some knowledge on them.
In other words, he just makes a cameo in a couple of scenes and doesn’t contribute as much to the larger story. This is why fans are wondering why the showrunners bothered to include him in the second installment.
Kinnear, on the other hand, was candid enough to admit he hasn’t read the books and therefore has no prior knowledge about Tom Bombadil. His partner, however, was a Tolkien fan.
I hadn’t read it. I said, ‘I’ll go away and read it and get back to you.’ And I went downstairs to my partner, who did know the books, and does know the films, and I said, ‘I’ve been offered this part. Apparently, it’s in the books. A guy called Tom Bombadil.’ She was like, ‘No way! You’re not playing Tom Bombadil!’
That was when he realized he is going to play a character that had “a cultural heft to it that I was going to have to be sensitive to.” Bombadil’s age remains a mystery, but what fans know is that he has existed way before the dawn of the first Dark Lord. No one knows a lot about this figure that’s why he remains an enigma.
Fans Are Upset With Rory Kinnear’s Look As Tom Bombadil
After the release of Rory Kinnear’s photo as Tom Bombadil, Lord of the Rings fans immediately went wild on social media complaining about the character. As mentioned, they were very particular about how he looked. Check out their tweets below:
The fact that our first official image is of him completely straight-faced instead of smiling isn’t a good sign.
— Robert Bowlin 🖖🏼 (@rbowlin86) May 29, 2024
This looks like the costume designer was a 5th grader
— JB (@jbas34) May 29, 2024
I unfortunately have very little faith that they'll get the vibe right, otherwise I'd be happy to see Tom in a show/movie.
The overall feel of the Amazon show is big, important, serious – don't know how they would square that with Bombadil— Lucaemar (@Lucaemar) May 29, 2024
Tom Bombadil would never have such a serious expression as this.
— Alan ₿ Watts ⚡️ (@alanbwt) May 29, 2024
Still not going to subject me or my family to this garbage. Already he doesn't look like Tom from the books
— Dustin Straight (@Carnage2469) May 29, 2024
This cannot be real. This looks like a Party City costume.
— Millennial Mush 🍊 (@millennialmush) May 29, 2024
Interestingly, despite the character’s mysterious persona, they know how Bombadil acted jolly in the books. They also know he’s supposed to be the most powerful character in Lord of the Rings. He was even immune to the powers of the Ring when he showed a magic trick to a shocked Frodo Baggins.
It remains to be seen how Kinnear will justify the character in Rings of Power, so fans better mark their calendars for the premiere on August 29, 2024 only on Amazon Prime Video.
