Amazon's Lord Of The Rings: 10 Crucial Second Age Events It Must Include

Focus on the politics of Númenórean succession and Ar-Pharazôn building an army would mean that Sauron would at first play no more role than the distant monster that he is in the movies.

Once captured and taken back to Númenor as Pharazôn's prisoner, however, we would get to see a very different, far more complex, side to the Dark Lord and one that would be a plum role for any actor (assuming that Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't retain the part that he had in The Battle Of The Five Armies).

The Sauron that we see in the movies, often little more than a flaming eye or occasionally a devilish figure in giant, black spiky armour, is only the form that he takes late in his existence when the events that we are likely to see in this prequel series prevent him from shifting shape and assuming other forms.

In his earlier existence as essentially the Middle-earth equivalent of a fallen angel, Sauron could assume a fair and beautiful physical form and was known for his silver-tongued charm and powers of persuasion.

When taken prisoner by Pharazôn, and seemingly in a submissive position, he nevertheless uses these abilities to worm his way into the king's ear and encourage him to defy the Valar. This would be a Sauron unlike any we've seen before and could be fascinating and unexpected for it. All things going well, Sauron could well end up the series' most compelling character.