Prime Video brought The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, revealing the first Season 3 teaser trailer, several new characters, and a surprising voice behind the Balrog.
Simon Pegg will voice the fiery creature when it returns in the new season, marking the first time the Balrog will speak onscreen.
Prime Video also confirmed that the first four episodes of The Rings of Power Season 3 will premiere November 11, 2026.
Sauron Begins Forging The One Ring
The new trailer debuted during the show’s Hall H panel and reveals a much darker Middle-earth five years after the fall of Eregion.
Sauron’s armies have marched across Middle-earth, while the Dark Lord works from his newly completed tower of Barad-dûr to create the One Ring.
According to Prime Video, only a handful of strongholds remain outside Sauron’s control, including Khazad-dûm, Lindon and Rivendell.
The Dwarves have sealed themselves inside their mountain halls, while the elven kingdoms remain protected by the Three Rings. Elves, Dwarves, Men and Wizards will be forced to form new and potentially uneasy alliances to prevent Sauron from conquering Middle-earth.
Simon Pegg Voices The Balrog
Prime Video revealed Pegg’s casting through an exclusive Hall H featurette focused on the creatures appearing during Season 3.
The footage included Fell-beasts, Orcs, the war elephants known as Mûmakil and the returning Balrog.
The Balrog will speak for the first time, with Pegg providing its voice. Pegg is known for Shaun of the Dead, the Mission: Impossible franchise and his role as Scotty in the modern Star Trek movies.
The panel was also interrupted by four armored Nazgnagôl, described as Second Age ring-servants of Sauron and early incarnations of the Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, seen during the Third Age.
New Characters Revealed
Prime Video confirmed three additional Season 3 characters during the panel.
- Eddie Marsan plays Thrain, the older brother of King Durin IV.
- Andrew Richardson plays Anarion, Elendil’s younger son and Isildur’s brother.
- Adam Young plays Marnûkh, a mysterious Orc who may be hiding his true identity.
They join Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, Galadriel’s long-missing husband, and Zubin Varla as Khamûl the Easterling of Rhûn.
Bower appeared during the Hall H presentation alongside Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers and Daniel Weyman.
Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay also participated, with Benjamin Walker moderating the panel.
Season 3 Release Schedule
Prime Video will release the eight-episode season across three weeks:
- Episodes 1-4: November 11, 2026
- Episodes 5-6: November 18, 2026
- Episodes 7-8: November 25, 2026
Season 3 is set five years after the events of Season 2, with Middle-earth already at war and Sauron approaching total victory.
The new season is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell and director Charlotte Brändström also executive produce.
The first two seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are available on Prime Video.
