Marvel Studios had a major year in 2021 with films like Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and Eternals marking the MCU’s return to theaters, but last year also saw this popular franchise make its way to the small screen via Disney+. One of the most memorable shows was Loki which saw our favorite anti-hero played by Tom Hiddleston come to terms with his death, being a time variant, and the series saw him work with the Time Variant Authority(TVA) to stop other variants from breaking the timeline. However, one of the more interesting supporting characters was TVA Judge Ravonna Renslayer, who was played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The last we saw of her character in season 1 was Renslayer stepping into a portal as she was coming to terms with her purpose and her new search for “free will.”
Her role for season 2 has remained a mystery since the show got renewed last July, but in a recent interview with Good Morning America Mbatha-Raw teased fans that she is in fact in the upcoming season.
The actress said, “I know there is a season two... I know that I'm in it...and that's about all I can say!", and she continued on saying, “I just love Renslayer. I’m just so excited to explore her further, and I’m so happy that people are looking forward to the next season.” That is all Mbatha-Raw had to say, but we know how serious Marvel is about keeping their secrets, so we cannot blame her for being tight-lipped about Renslayer’s role in Season 2. Also, since there is still no indication of when Season 2 will even start production, we are still a ways off from hearing what is overall in store for Loki and his TVA friends.
However, that will definitely not stop fans from theorizing as the finale of Loki season 1 saw the literal destruction of the MCU timeline, a load of betrayal, and the introduction of the first version of Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. He is looking more and more like the MCU’s next big bad, and it is also important to note that Renslayer had a romantic relationship with Kang in the comics which is something that could be explored in the future. Renslayer has been a compelling character so far in the short amount of time we saw her in season 1 and her friendship with Owen Wilson’s Mobius was a definite highlight of the entire show. The tragic evolution of that particular relationship could also be something further touched upon in season 2.
Loki’s first season was such a surprisingly emotional and personally intimate tragedy that touched on themes about coming to terms with oneself as well as loving yourself in a fascinatingly rich way. That was something very new in terms of Marvel’s storytelling and Renslayer was at the heart of this show’s weighty emotional core. All fans can do for now is wait patiently for more story details about the upcoming season.