Summary
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordorwas one of the big gaming hits of 2014, due in no small part to its original story featuring the spirit of Celebrimbor and Talion, a cursed Gondor ranger. The game and its follow-up,Middle-earth: Shadow of War,remain two of the only contributions to Middle-earth mythology not directly penned by Tolkien himself, along with Amazon’sRings of Powershow. And while this may make Monolith’s story dubiously canon in the eyes of some diehard fans of the universe, there’s something worthwhile to be explored in Talion’s story that can translate fantastically into the recentlyannounced filmLord of the Rings:The Hunt For Gollum.
Not much is known about the film as of yet; only that it aims for a 2026 release window and that it will reunite Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis as producer and director, respectively. Beyond these sparse details, there isn’t much else to say at the moment. But given the title, this is the perfect chance to bring the story ofMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordorinto the wider world of Middle-earth.
Could Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Reference Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor?
One thing needs to be perfectly clear:Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordoris currently not considered canon. As of now, the duology’s narrative is fairly self-contained. Talion, a Gondor ranger, is slain in a ritual that binds him to life as well as permanently connects him to the spirit of Celebrimbor, the long-dead elf responsible for helping Sauron forge the rings of power. The two work together to strike back at the forces of evil that refuse to allow them to rest.
The games have been praised for years for their action-packed gameplay and the groundbreaking nemesis system, but the story itself has been more akin to an episode of Marvel’sWhat If…?,which puts forth alternate versions of canon events. Granted, some of the more‘out there’ narrative decisions inShadow of Warmight mean that the games being non-canon could be a good thing, but that doesn’t meanLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumcan’t or shouldn’t take inspiration from one of the biggestLord of the Ringsprojects in the last ten years.
One of the biggest characters in the story ofShadow of Mordoris Gollum, who aids Talion and Celebrimbor in finding artifacts from the former’s ancient past life. Gollum’s appearance in the game (both his presence and the way he physically looks) indicate the game’s story takes place somewherebetweenThe Hobbitand the start of the trilogy.
What Could Talion’s Role be in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum?
Should Talion/Celebrimbor appear inLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, they’d certainly be key players within Mordor itself. Given their experience dealing with Gollum and their ability to dominate orcs to create an army of their own, they could prove to be invaluable allies to the protagonist of the film.
Fans of the franchise might recall that Gollum was captured and tortured by the forces of Sauron to make him divulge the location of Bilbo and the Ring. A story about Gandalf enlisting Talion/Celebrimbor to free Gollum before he can talk to the dark lord could end with an army of Sauron’s orcs fighting off an army of Talion’s mind-controlled orcs. This would be the first glimpse at formal orc vs. orc warfare in the series. Ultimately, anything tying Talion/Celebrimbor into the greater narrative of Middle-earth would be a more engaging story than the one presented inthe heavily criticizedLord of the Rings: Gollum, which also documents the title character’s 40-year stay in the land of shadow.
That doesn’t seem too long when talking about Middle-earth history, but that’s still a lifetime from a human standpoint. There’s so much storytelling potential in that time frame; plenty of room foranyLotRadventure Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson want to tackle. And if the story they want to tell happens to involve Gollum’s time in Mordor, a live action appearance from Talion/Celebrimbor would be a welcome addition to the film. The filmmakers may need to tweak elements of the game’s story to better fit in with the main timeline of Middle-earth, but seeing the two on the big screen would be a nice nod to fans of the games and a great way to flesh out the setting even more.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
WHERE TO PLAY
Winner of multiple awards including Game of the Year, Best Action Game and the most innovative game of this generation. Experience the ground-breaking Nemesis System as you fight through Mordor and ultimately confront the evil of Sauron in this new chronicle of Middle-earth.
