Marvel's Runaways will pick up with Season 2 this December, and it looks like fans can expect more than the teens taking the fight to their parents. This development came after co-showrunner Josh Schwartz revealed that the show will make its first legit MCU connection at some point down the stretch in the new season:
A reference [late in the season] will probably be our first real breadcrumb that connects us to the MCU, in some way.
That breadcrumb will no doubt be of interest to fans of Marvel's Runaways, as it could provide some clue as to where the teen adventure falls in the current Marvel timeline. For example, the breadcrumb may reveal that Runaways is connected to the timeline in the Marvel Netflix universe, which appears to take place before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. There's also the chance Season 2 could contain a reference to Infinity War, which would be a huge deal considering no Marvel show has specifically referenced Thanos or the game-changing incident from the film.
The breadcrumb might not be that substantial, as Josh Schwartz's comment to TVLine seems to indicate the reference isn't quite that big. Other possibilities could be a hint towards the presence of another Marvel hero, although Schwartz's quote makes it sound like something fans will recognize from prior films and shows. One thing that seems certain is that this nod will have a bit more weight than Season 1's Stan Lee cameo, which means it's probably something folks will get excited about.
Regardless of the reference's importance or relevance, any nod to the larger MCU will be welcomed as Marvel's Runaways felt like an isolated product to some in Season 1. Part of that is due to it being the first Marvel television series to take place in Los Angeles, which hasn't been seen or used much in the MCU since the whole franchise kicked off with Iron Man a decade ago. Season 2 of Runaways will almost certainly give Marvel lovers a better look at the city, as the teens are officially out of their bougie houses and taking the fight to The Pride.
As far as what that means for Runaways, Stephanie Savage also confirmed Season 2 will feature an iteration of the comics' iconic hostel the teens use as their headquarters. This version will be a lavish mansion that was swallowed up following a "mudslide or earthquake," and now sits just below the surface of Griffith Park. Fans might have to wait a bit for that MCU breadcrumb, but we're guessing it won't take long to see the mansion as the co-showrunners confirmed the Season 2 premiere will take place 24 to 36 hours after the Season 1 finale.
Runaways returns to Hulu for Season 2 Friday, December 21 at 12:01 a.m. PT. For more on upcoming television programming, be sure to visit our summer and fall premiere guides.
