The recently released Episode 4 of The Rings of Power Season 2 marked the first-ever live-action appearance of Tom Bombadil, who is a significant part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novels. The character was notably absent from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, making his on-screen debut even more intriguing. A popular theory suggests that Tom Bombadil is actually God in the LOTR books, and could be playing a similar role in The Rings of Power Season 2 as well. In a recent discussion, the creators of the show addressed this and shared their views on the character.
The Rings of Power Season 2 showrunners on whether Tom Bombadil is God in Lord of the Rings
Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay stated that Bombadil is as wise as he is quirky while reflecting on his eternality.
The creative duo highlighted the juxtaposed nature of Tom Bombadil’s personality before touching upon his suspected role as God in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “There are moments where he’s very serious and very intense,” said Payne. “Other moments he’s laughing and cracking jokes. The fact that both beings can exist in one body is again part of the delight,” he added.
Payne also shed light on casting the young Rory Kinnear in such a mature role of Tom Bombadil, who has long been rumored to be God in Tolkien’s lore. “[Tom] has this eternal youthfulness and a fountain of life that comes out of him. So the idea that he might be old and wisened felt a bit at odds with a character who had this also sort of eternal sense of life,” he said.
The pair then addressed whether Tom Bombadil was, in fact, God in The Rings of Power. “We would have no problem if that question was being asked. Because people say that about the character in the books,” Payne explained.
However, without giving a definite answer, McKay then reiterated Tolkien’s supposed take on the comparison and stated, “And I think people asked that of Tolkien himself. Tolkien chose to remain silent on it, and so shall we.”
With four episodes still to come in the second season, only time will tell how the character of Bombadil will develop in the fantastical series.
