Círdan the Shipwright is coming in “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” season 2

Ben Daniels ("The Crown") will play the legendary elf, a master shipbuilder and font of wisdom.

One of the most legendary elves in Middle-earth is finally coming to the screen in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Entertainment Weekly can reveal that actor Ben Daniels will portray Círdan the Shipwright in the upcoming second season of Amazon Prime Video’s epic fantasy series based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Daniels has acted on stage on Broadway and in the West End, and in recent years has appeared in other genre shows like Jupiter’s Legacy and Foundation. He might be best known to American audiences for his portrayal of Antony Armstrong-Jones, former husband of Princess Margaret, on Netflix’s The Crown.

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“The wonderful Ben Daniels is playing Círdan,” co-showrunner J.D. Payne told EW during a visit to the Rings of Power set last year. “He's a classically trained British actor and brings a lot of wisdom and gravitas to the role.”

“Also, his humor and warmth,” adds co-showrunner Patrick McKay. “We really fell in love with him in The Crown and wanted to work with him.”

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Although Círdan doesn’t have much of a direct role in The Lord of the Rings proper, he looms large in Tolkien’s legendarium. In other words, his name is well-known to hard-core fans but probably unfamiliar to those who have only watched Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations.

So here’s the basic rundown: As a master shipbuilder, Círdan is master of the Grey Havens. That’s the harbor in the Lindon region that can transport elves who have tired of Middle-earth back to the Undying Lands of Valinor. The last chapter of The Lord of the Rings is titled “The Grey Havens,” because the story ends with Frodo Baggins and the other ring-bearers (including Círdan) departing Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age.

Related: A Rings of Power regular won't be returning for season 2

But The Rings of Power takes place during the Second Age, when the elves are still a force in Middle-earth. Círdan is a font of wisdom, even among the High Elves, and will serve as a mentor to the younger elf Elrond (Robert Aramayo) in season 2.

As viewers may remember, season 1 of The Rings of Power ended with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) forging the three elven rings. One of those rings (Venya, the Ring of Adamant) will eventually go to Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), while the most powerful (Vilya, the Ring of Air) will first go to the elven lord Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) before eventually passing to Elrond. Círdan is the initial bearer of the third elven ring: Narya, the Ring of Fire.

Related: What's the deal with the elven rings in The Rings of Power?

By the time that The Lord of the Rings proper begins, Círdan covertly gives his ring to Gandalf, who uses it to inspire the people of Middle-earth in their struggle against Sauron. We know that the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is one of the five wizards, also known as Istari. If he really is Gandalf, we can probably expect to see him cross paths with Círdan at some point. But in any case, Círdan is set to exert significant influence over the Second Age.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returns for season 2 Aug. 29 on Prime Video.

Additional reporting by Devan Coggan. 

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.