Is Old Tom something more than Middle-earth’s “eldest”?

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Tom Bombadil is many things in Lord of the Rings, but is he the God of Middle-earth? It’s a debate that has raged on among Tolkien fans and scholars alike for decades, but The Rings of Power showrunners have no intention of putting an end to the mystery once and for all.

“We would have no problem if that question was being asked,” co-showrunner J.D. Payne says when pressed by The Hollywood Reporter on whether ‘Old Tom’ is the man Himself. “Because people say that about the character in the books.”

Fellow showrunner Patrick McKay added: “And I think people asked that of Tolkien himself. Tolkien chose to remain silent on it, and so shall we.”

In The Rings of Power season 2, Tom Bombadil – first introduced in Tolkien’s 1934 poem ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil’, is played by Rory Kinnear. The yellow boot-wearing hermit encounters The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) in the fourth episode and describes himself as the “eldest” of Middle-earth, and someone who has come into contact with Rhun’s Dark Wizard in the past.

Still, the jury is out on exactly who Tom Bombadil is and what his motives are. To many, he is a god-like being who revels in tricksy merriment – and never getting involved in the affairs of Middle-earth. For now, it’s being kept that way.

For more, check out our verdict on the Prime Video show in The Rings of Power season 2 review. Then dive into our explainers on Adar and Annatar for the full picture on two of the season’s biggest bads.