A lot of us definitely thought he was Saruman, right? The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 brought with it a new character, known only as the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). Like The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) before him, the Dark Wizard arrived on the scene with his identity shrouded in mystery, with very few clues to go on, save that the name “Dark Wizard” was not one he had chosen for himself. A secondary clue — though perhaps it’s more red herring than anything else — is that said Dark Wizard sports an awfully Saruman-like beard.

However, in a new interview with Collider’s Carly Lane, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne make one thing perfectly clear. “He is not Saruman,” Payne told her, before adding “We can say that we do know who he is.” McKay went on to say “But it’s all part of the journey. Good things come to those who wait.” Whether the “we” in “we do know who he is” refers to the showrunner, or to the audience who is up on their J.R.R. Tolkien knowledge, however, remains to be seen. But with Season 3 on the way, we can at least be comforted that we’ll have an answer eventually.

‘Rings of Power’ Will Introduce Characters the Audience Already Knows

The mystery surrounding the Dark Wizard’s identity also brought Lane to another point, namely that the first two seasons of the show have had season-long arcs surrounding the question of a character’s identity — the mystery of “who is Sauron” in Season 1, and the eventual reveal of Gandalf in Season 2. She asked McKay and Payne whether they’d ever consider introducing a major character right away, without the question of identity following them around for a whole season.

As much as we all love a mystery, fortunately, the pair confirmed that this is, in fact, part of their plan. Payne explained:

“The answer is yes. We have new characters that will be coming along down the pike, who you will know who they are almost from the moment you meet them.”

McKay added to this, saying they don’t want this element to become something the show is known for: “I think it’s nice when stories make you ask questions, but no, I don’t think we want it to become a bad habit of the show.” As for who those new characters might be? Let the speculation begin!

The first two seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are streaming now on Prime Video. Stay tuned for more from Lane’s interview with Payne and McKay.