5 Big Questions 'Runaways' Season 2 Needs to Answer

Runaways was had a successful debut in season one, proving that the Marvel brand is just as viable on streaming services like Hulu, as it is on Netflix, and giving fans a truly unique show that blends an offbeat superhero origin story with hip, modern teen coming-of-age drama. As Runaways season 1 wraps up (read our full recap), there are several big mysteries still left on dangling, to lure us into the already-announced season 2 of the show.

With those questions in front of us (especially for fans who never read the Runaways comic), here are the five big questions that Runaways season 2 needs to answer:

5. What's Buried Under Los Angeles?

PRIDE's big secret mission on behalf of Jonah was securing an area of urban Los Angeles to initiate a major excavation. As season 1 came to an end, we learned that thing being excavated wasn't some rare or all-important artifact, but rather a living thing - a gigantic living thing. Since the season finale never revealed what's lurking down in that hole, it's now up to season 2 of Runaways to fully reveal the answer.

POTENTIAL SPOILER - We've already broken this mystery down in detail, and those who read the comic books probably already guessed the answer: The monster in the hole is almost certainly the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of a "Gibborim," a mystical ancient race of giant, six-fingered beings who ruled earth before humanity, and are the basis of the legends about "elder gods." The Gibborim seek to wipe Earth clean of humanity and restore it to an Eden state; it was the Gibborim who formed PRIDE, motivating its members to carry out the will of Gibborim, in exchange for their children being spared destruction. It seems season 2 of Runaways will finally reveal the ancient beings' presence in the MCU.

4. Who is Jonah?

Nip/Tuck star Julian McMahon stepped in midway through season 1 to introduce his enigmatic antagonist "Jonah," the man pulling the strings of PRIDE. We saw Jonah go from a veritable state of living mummification, to a state of healthy middle-aged vitality - at least for the moment. In the Runaways finale, Jonah realizes that his physical form is once again starting to decay, once again prompting the question: who is this guy?

POTENTIAL SPOILER - In our own extensive breakdown of the clues surrounding Jonah, we came to the same conclusion that many Marvel Comics fans already did: Jonah is the MCU version of a Majesdanian alien. In the comics, it was Leslie and Frank Dean who were actually Majesdanian arms dealers who had been exiled to earth, and fell in league with PRIDE; in the MCU Leslie and Frank are both very much human, but Jonah seems to have been adapted from their traditional comic book backstory. If this theory is correct, then Marvel fans are in for some potential big twists, as Jonah could have major ties to the MCU's next wave of big bads.

3. What is Karolina?

Runaways has a unique set of superpowers for its various protagonists. Characters like Chase (Gregg Sulkin) and Nico (Lyrica Okano) utilize advanced tech weaponry; Molly's (Allegra Acosta) strength is quite likely linked to the mystical powers of the Gibborim, while Gert's (Ariela Barer) dinosaur companion is the result of advanced genetic engineering. Of the group, it's only Karolina (Virginia Gardner) who seems to have been born with an actual superpower - so what does that mean about her origins?

POTENTIAL SPOILER - Mutants are non-existent in the MCU (at least for the moment...), which would leave Inhumans as the main guess for how someone gets superpowers in the MCU. However, given the nature of Karolina's powers, as well as the revealed connection to her true father, Jonah, it's easy to assume that Karolina's comic book origins will remain intact, and it will soon be revealed that she is the alien hybrid child of a Majesdane father (Jonah) and human woman (Leslie).

2. What Was Future Chase Warning Victor About?

In one of the most offbeat moments of Runaways season 1, we get the backstory of Victor and Jill Stein, especially concerning the birth of their son, Chase. During that same sequence, Victor awakes from memories of his past highs and lows as a father, to find a message from Chase - a future version of Chase, sending a message back to the past. Chase apologizes for the series of events that have yet to unfold, warning Victor to not pick up the Fistigons during a pivotal fight between Victor and the present day version of Chase. Victor of course ignores the warning, and when he dons the Fistigons to slay Chase, he's fatally shot by his wife, Jill.

The lingering mystery here is what was the "all of it" that future Chase referenced, and why is he attempting to rectify his past by trying to change it? This is one area where the comics don't necessarily provide an answer, and it definitely sticks out as an odd, Batman v Superman-esque moment of the season. In other words: season 2 needs to put it into proper context.

1. Will (SPOILER) Betray The Team?

The Runaways comic is filled with some pretty dark turns, including some major betrayals and/or character losses. Of those tragic developments, there's definitely one that fans are wondering about more than any other:

POTENTIAL SPOILERS - In the Runaways comic, Alex Wilder eventually uses his superior intellect to double-cross his teammates. Alex was the first to realize PRIDE existed, and after decrypting PRIDE's book of secret history, Alex seeks to secure the six spots of the Gibborim's new Eden for himself, his parents, and Nico's family, leaving the rest of the team to die. That scheme ultimately blows up in Alex's face, and he's forced to confess his betrayal to the Gibborim, who incinerate him for messing up their plans. The MCU version of Alex is much more compassionate and doesn't have the genius-level intellect powers of his comic book counterpart, so his loyalty to his friends could arguably be much more absolute.

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What other answers are you looking for in Runaways season 2? You can currently catch season 1 streaming exclusively on Hulu.