Warning! SPOILERS about The Rings of Power episode 3 ahead.The mysterious Meteor Man in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 1 might be Gandalf, and if he is, the show could solve a huge Hobbit mystery. The Rings of Power episode 3 further explored the protagonists’ stories in different parts of Middle-earth, with the arc about the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) that fell from the sky and was assisted by Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) bringing intriguing new developments. Although the Meteor Man is hypothesized to be many things, many also believe he will become Gandalf, precisely because his first interaction in Middle-earth happens with Harfoots, the Hobbits’ predecessors.
Both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit highlight Gandalf’s (Ian McKellen) special relationship with Hobbits. While it became clear why he chose Frodo (Elijah Wood) in The Fellowship of the Ring and how Gandalf and Frodo’s relationship was particularly affectionate, it was never explicitly said why Gandalf spent so much time with Hobbits. After all, Hobbits have always been quite private, not venturing far from the Shire, but also not willing to accept strangers in their midst, much like Harfoots in The Rings of Power. This makes Gandalf’s long-standing fascination with Hobbits especially peculiar, as even in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey he was familiar with Bilbo’s (Martin Freeman) family and village, but he didn’t already share the affection he would later have with Bilbo and Frodo.
The Meteor Man and Gandalf both arrive at Middle-earth from somewhere else, as Gandalf is one of the Maiar. If the Stranger is revealed to become Gandalf – since The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age’s beginning while Lord of the Rings happens well into the Third Age – the wizard's fascination with Hobbits would be explained. The Rings of Power episodes 2 and 3 not only highlight how Nori was willing to help the Stranger despite Poppy’s best attempts at stopping her but also how much she risked to protect him, as she might have risked her place in the caravan with the other Harfoots, creating what could be a long-lasting bond between the Stranger and the group that will become Hobbits.
Evidence The Meteor Man Is Gandalf
Two major clues hint at the Meteor Man being Gandalf. The Rings of Power episode 2 shows the Stranger trying to defend himself from Nori by performing powerful nature-based magic before he understands she means no harm. The Meteor Man’s powers are similar to Gandalf’s, as the Stranger compels the fireflies to form a constellation, just like Gandalf whispers to the moth to deliver a message to Gwaihir in Fellowship of the Ring. In addition, the Meteor Man is clearly confused as he lands in Middle-earth, just like the Maiar are. Tolkien refrained from explaining how Gandalf reached Middle-earth, but he did write that the experience was disorienting, as it involved partly stripping the beings of their magical prowess and knowledge.
The Stranger possibly being a Maia wouldn’t point to him necessarily being Gandalf, it's also believed he could be Sauron, especially as Galadriel couldn’t find him for many years. Still, the unusual arrival of the Meteor Man strongly points to his Maia nature, reinforcing the possibility he indeed could be Gandalf. If that were the case, Gandalf’s partiality to Hobbits would be easily explained, as the Stranger was championed so much by Nori in Rings of Power that she even risked her and her family’s stance in their community for him.
New Episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power release every Friday on Amazon Prime Video.