Mairon/Sauron

[Haakon]

Haakon - could we make Christian Bale Melkor??? That last pic is just spot on for Melkor as he's looking down on Manwë disapprovingly!



Haakon - Great idea with Christian Bale! I didn't even think of him!

Shelby I have changed my mind about Melkor, I no longer think Del Toro would do it - but I haven't given up on Bale as Sauron (but if we don't cast him as Sauron I guess he could be cast elsewhere, he would be a great elf, why not Fëanor?) For Melkor, I now only see Michael Fassbender.

I'm curious about how people think about the valar and maiar "in their youth". Do you see them as physically younger, like humans? Do you think they choose to change their bodies in that way? Or do you think Tolkien speaks of their youth more as a way to signal the passage of time?

 

[Shelby Seymore]

I don't necessarily think they appear young...in my mind 30-40 cause that seems to be the perfect age elves stay at and the Valar fitted themselves to look like elves.

I think that the elves youth does speak to how old they are and how much time has passed. I mean you have legolas who looks like an 18 year old but is 3000 and is wise like an ancient (for the most part) and that jolt of physical maturity and mental maturity is what really exemplifies their age.

I mean look at the traditional god model. An old grey headed dude sitting on the throne (who's always bald, if he's god he doesn't need Rogaine, he can literally grow it back). We don't see this weird because God is old, eternally old. He looks like my great grandma who lived during 1920s. She also seems to have been alive for all of eternity from my point of view.

But if people portrayed God in a youthful stance I think there would be real differences in the way people viewed him and I think Tolkien really expounded on this with the Valar and Eru. Just my personal opinion

 

[Shelby Seymore]

I've also been thinking, since we nixed the idea of Sauron being blonde (since Melkor is blonde) then we could totally use Bale as Annatar. That's still Sauron, but him when he's more cunning and more corrupted which I think Bale would play nicely.

 

[Haakon]

I was thinking about how evil Sauron is throughout the series and how that should be portrayed. It's not strictly a casting question but still, since we are on it. Firstly, I believe that when Sauron repents to Eonwe, it is out of fear of being punished, not because he understands he has done wrong. It is acting at the lowest of levels of moral development. There is no evidence at all of him doing good, then or later on. So if someone says that he is not entirely evil at that time, it must mean that there is still hope that he might do good, he is not completely lost to evil. I think though that the qoute from Elrond that you mention Shelby is to be taken as a reference to Sauron's time as Mairon. I think we can find a common ground in Tolkien - he writes: "In my story I do not deal in Absolute Evil. I do not think there is such a thing, since that is Zero. I do not think at any rate any ’rational being’ is wholly evil. Satan fell. In my myth Morgoth fell before Creation of the physical world. In my story Sauron represents as near an approach to the wholly evil will as is possible" (Letter #183)
So I find that Sauron is the typical psychopath. That's just my personal way of categorizing his evil. Now, that being said, I think it would be dull if he went about looking mean all the time. He is a deciever. But I don't think he should look innocent. He should be charming and inspire trust. For me, innocence is a trait that I don't think a power hungry being like Sauron would accept, even in a fake persona.
So, if Mairon and Sauron is to be played by the same actor, I don't think we should go for boyish innocence - unless the same actor also can portray mature charm. That's what I like about Bale, if we can use him across his lifespan. In his youth he had a bit of innocence, but like a seed of wickedness in his charisma, that grew more dominant over time. I think it would be perfect. (Sorry for being so stubborn...)

 

[Luke B]

See, I imagine someone more like Johnathan Rhys Meyers. He is very adaptable as an actor and does suave/coy/scheming very well. I think that he is dynamic enough to play a younger and older role, thus eliminating some confusion.

 

[Kathy Amen]

Here are some pictures of Christian Bale - from Mairon to Sauron.

 

[Kathy Amen]

Christian Bale would be great. He really is a fine actor and can handle charming and cold equally well. Plus, he looks good. I always thought Melkor was a good-looking guy with a serious sense of entitlement, possibly because he knows he looks good.

 

[Haakon]

Christian Bale would be great. He really is a fine actor and can handle charming and cold equally well. Plus, he looks good. I always thought Melkor was a good-looking guy with a serious sense of entitlement, possibly because he knows he looks good.

So do you think he'd be better as Melkor? Or as Sauron?

 

[Kathy Amen]

Somehow I see Sauron rather than Melkor. But I've always had trouble visualized Melkor. When I read I mostly just see a big black cloud 😎

 

[Carlia]

I think maybe Christian Bale as Melkor... and Simon Wooks as Mairon

and as Sauron...

Because I think it has to be someone whom you trust at first sight... and appear all innocent, just as he tricked Celebrimbor into trusting him

 

[Haakon]

Maybe Sam Claflin?

 

[Haakon]

Or Jack O'Connell? He could grow into it, be a great Mairon, a troubled youth, and as we move along become a hardened Sauron.

 

[Karita Alexander]

I like this idea of Mairon being a ginger.

 

[Haakon]

He is a deciever. But I don't think he should look innocent. He should be charming and inspire trust. For me, innocence is a trait that I don't think a power hungry being like Sauron would accept, even in a fake persona.
So, if Mairon and Sauron is to be played by the same actor, I don't think we should go for boyish innocence - unless the same actor also can portray mature charm. That's what I like about Bale, if we can use him across his lifespan. In his youth he had a bit of innocence, but like a seed of wickedness in his charisma, that grew more dominant over time. I think it would be perfect.

I think this also applies to Sam Claflin.

 

[Carlia]

The more I see him, the more I am leaving Simon Woods stored away and lean towards Sam Claflin for Mairon.

I do believe it must be one and the same actor, just for continuity's sake. This is someone we see transforming, so it would be a little odd to change persons. Maybe for someone who is not aquainted with Mairon as a character might assume that Sauron killed Mairon if their are not the same... (Am I the only one who thinks that would be too DarthVaderish?)

Which leads me to a brand new prospect I had not considered until I wrote that.

Hayden Christensen?

 

[Haakon]

I'm not sure who you mean would assume Sauron killed Mairon. But your Vader association made me think about who Mairon/Sauron/Thu is in season 2 and beyond. Vader has a mask, and maybe Mairon has one. as well. I like the thought that he starts using a mask while being the Lord of Werewolves. Maybe just some helmet or perhaps a wolf mask. This would mean that Mairon's face isn't seen until he shows up in Númenor, and the Elves won't see him until he is Annatar - or do I forget something? So basically, when he is Annatar, he could look like Mairon, since nobody there has seen his face before?

 

[Nicholas Palazzo]

I absolutely love the mask idea. The actor wouldn't be thrilled about it to be sure, but... Man does that idea have some mythic power.

 

[ouzaru]

I blame Peter Jackson for my lack of interest in Radagast's character! But you totally re-intrigued me! I actually think Eddie might be better for Radagast as I've been thinking over the past few weeks because I think that Mairon needs to have a bit temper and a darker side...not sure Redmayne could pull that off. He's more innocent and I think he could totally pull off Aiwendil!

I'd like to see some interaction between Mairon and Radagast that we could retcon later on. Perhaps have Radagast recall what Sauron was like before he was Sauron while he is narrating. Just a thought! I think it's a Jacksonism that Gandalf and Radagast are so removed from Sauron. There needs to be a relationship there because they would have known each other and adds an incredible level to the Hobbit/LOTR that most readers don't understand.

However, I think that we need to keep a younger actor for Mairon. Perhaps a redhead...😉 But more importantly they need to be young (under 30 in my opinion) so that they can keep the innocence that Mairon has while being able to portray his darker side that Melkor draws on. Once he is Sauron, or a little after, I think we'll change his actor into someone older, someone who would resemble Annatar. Just to refresh my image of Mairon. (Prepare thyself for redhair madness; Sauron can have black hair ;D)

I'm sure Corey would be viamently opposed to FemMairon/FemSauron, so I'll keep those pics off. (That was a joke ;D) I am a wonderful fan of the concept art of Suz on Tumblr! Here's a link to her site. It's called Impossibly High Barad-dûr Graffiti. But I pulled alot of her Mairon concept art and put it up here:

View attachment 93 View attachment 94 View attachment 95 View attachment 96 (Imagine Melkor blonde!)
View attachment 98View attachment 99

Here's an awesome baby comic because it makes me laugh! Just for giggles!

View attachment 100

We should hire this person to do the flash animations for all the hilarious jokes the Big a Three come up with during the podcasts that they begrudgingly admit could never make it into the actual show.

 

[Carlia]

I'm not sure who you mean would assume Sauron killed Mairon.

I may be mistaken, please correct me if I am, but we are planning this as if this is a movie that will actually happen, and there would be less informed people who would love to create conspiracy theories and confusion.

Like this rumor that began to run about Elros, the son of Eärendil, being in The Hobbit, but it was just a random elf with the same name.

 

[Haakon]

I may be mistaken, please correct me if I am, but we are planning this as if this is a movie that will actually happen, and there would be less informed people who would love to create conspiracy theories and confusion.

Like this rumor that began to run about Elros, the son of Eärendil, being in The Hobbit, but it was just a random elf with the same name.

No, I'm sorry, you are obviously right.