Lord of the Rings Fans Want New Warner Bros. Movies to Feature Fan-Favorite Character
Reports that Warner Bros. Pictures is planning new The Lord of the Rings movies riled up J.R.R. Tolkien fans, especially those trying to make sense of the current situation involving the rights to his work. There have already been six live-action films set in Middle-earth, not to mention Prime Video's high-profile Middle-earth-set television series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. What's left for Warner Bros.? Some Tolkien fans see this as the opportunity for Warner Bros. to do right by one of the most popular characters cut from Peter Jackson's telling of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the legendary Tom Bombadil.
Tom Bombadil's absence was one of the biggest complaints Tolkien purists had with Jackson's adaptation of the seminal fantasy novels. Fans took to social media to demand his inclusion in the next movie, either solo, teaming up with Radagast the Brown, or as part of a larger trilogy of overlooked Lord of the Rings scene. Some are even offering casting ideas, from Jack Black to Matt Barry.
Who is Tom Bombadil?
Tolkien created Tom Bombadil before publishing The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. His 1934 poem "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" introduces Tom, his wife Goldberry, described as the "Daughter of the River," the evil tree Old Man Willow, and a wraith-like creature called a barrow-wight, all of whom appear in The Fellowship of the Ring. Tom rescues the Hobbits from Old Man Willow and then invites them into his remote, idyllic home early in their journey. He later reappears to save them from a barrow-wight.
Tom appears as a joyful, bouncy older man who is constantly singing songs. He appears to have complete control over everything within his realm, which may be why he is determined to remain within its borders. His power should put him on a level playing field, if not at an advantage over, anyone else on Middle-earth, yet he shows no interest in becoming involved in the fight against Sauron or any other conflict.
Why was Tom Bombadil left out of The Lord of the Rings movies?
While Tom and the almost surreal scenes within his realm are delightful, it's understandable that Jackson would cut his involvement from the already lengthy The Fellowship of the Ring movie given that his involvement isn't integral to the overall plot of the stories. (Jackson does give a nod to Old Man Willow in the extended edition of The Two Towers with a scene where a tree tries to consume Merry and Pippin, as Old Man Willow did in the novels, and Treebeard speaking the lines Tom Bombadil used to pacify it.)
Tom Bombadil's exact nature remains a mystery to Tolkien fans. Despite his appearance in The Lord of the Rings, the chronicles of Middle-earth's history told in The Silmarillion offer no insight into where Tom came from and what his purpose might be. Tolkien scholars have offered a number of interpretations, from him being Sauron's benevolent thematic opposite to him being an otherwise Vala (possibly Aulë, who created the dwarves) or a Maiar dwelling on Earth who is not one of the Istari.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opens in theaters on April 12, 2024. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently filming its second season.