Part 4/9:
During a panel discussion at San Diego Comic-Con, series showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay addressed questions about the creation of characters outside Tolkien’s original universe. In particular, Stephen Colbert’s question pinpointed the challenge of adding non-canonical characters—those not described explicitly in Tolkien’s texts—into the lore.
Colbert asked how they intended to breathe “depth” into these newly invented characters and cultures, given their departure from original sources. Payne and McKay conceded that several characters and events were non-canonical—meaning they were invented for the series. This admission has reinforced perceptions that the series is Building a new universe, loosely inspired by Tolkien rather than a faithful adaptation.