Netflix has unveiled a brief new look at Arcane season 2 and even though it's just a few seconds long, it's already sparking theories amongst fans.
The clip was shown as part of the streamer's Next on Netflix Animation event on Thursday (June 6), which also teased the likes of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and Terminator Zero. Later, it was shared on the League of Legend show's official Twitter.
Captioned "Piltover's finest, on the case", it sees Vi (Hawkeye's Hailee Steinfeld) tinkering with her atlas gauntlets, before Caitlyn (Harry Potter's Katie Leung) says via voiceover: "We've got a few surprises of our own". With that, Vi walks towards the camera and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Caitlin and three other characters: all five of them sporting Piltover police uniforms.
It's the character on the far left, though, that has caught people's attention. Fans of the show took to social media to suggest that the redhead might well be a grown-up version of Ren, Piltover's corrupt sheriff Marcus's young daughter from season 1 – and that the new batch of episodes will feature a significant time jump, just like its predecessor. Marcus, who was working with antagonist Silco, was killed in one of Jinx's attacks on the city, which might have led Ren to pursuing a career in law enforcement.
Hello Ren (Marcus's Daughter)So if it's her, I'm guessing we will have something like a 10 years time skip after 2 or 3 episodes ?? pic.twitter.com/obdKUlMJvvJune 6, 2024
Timeskip confirmed cause those hair eyebrows and eyes are clearly Ren's (Marcus daughter)👌 Oh god I think us theorizing abt her taking revenge on Jinx was not just theory https://t.co/WQzCCc2xwv pic.twitter.com/RrieDXR3ByJune 6, 2024
"Oh it's absolutely her," claimed someone, as another wrote: "That's what I'm saying. It has to be her, continuing her father's legacy."
In season 1, Ren looked to be around nine or 10, and if that is her in the clip, it'd be safe to assume that season 2 goes forward at least five years. If she's working for Piltover's police department, however, it's likely even more. With that, others are skeptical about the theory, given the other characters' appearances.
"I don't think it will be years, but months. Vi and Caitlyn look too alike, and literally a war is going on. Maybe the girl is a relative of Ren," said a doubter on Twitter.
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Ren speculation aside, the fact that Zaunite Vi, whose parents were killed by Piltover enforcers, is one herself in season 2 sparked a lot of opinionated tweets, too. It's hardly a surprise to those who have played the battle arena game in which the series is based, mind...
"It's so funny to see people just learning Vi is a cop. She has always been a cop, she was created as a cop character, her alias is literally 'The Piltover Enforcer'," said a player online, as another wrote: "This is her lore".
Arcane season 2 premieres on Netflix in November 2024. While we wait, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.
I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.