New Taco Bell Commercial Includes Strange Connection to Image Comics' Saga

Since it's debut in 2012, Image Comics' Saga has been a bit of a phenomenon within the comic book community. The genre-bending space opera has legions of fans, many of whom have stayed hyped for the comic even with its several-year hiatus from publishing new issues. Ahead of the series' return this upcoming January, Saga has entered the pop culture conversation yet again — but not in the way anyone might have been expecting. A recent commercial for Taco Bell's Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito features two people at a train station in cosplay — cosplay of none other than Marko, one of Saga's protagonists.

Ever since the commercial first debuted, fans have wondered if it is an intentional reference to Saga, especially given the fact that the series has yet to be adapted into another medium. As the fine print at the end of the advertisement reveals, it is a deliberate reference, with series creators Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples being credited. In a way, the bizarreness of the advertisement feels oddly on brand for Saga, even as Vaughan has 

"I still think for now, I flatter myself to think Fiona and I are doing something that celebrates what only comics can do, which is the scope beyond a Hollywood blockbuster in terms of the visuals, but also a challenging grown-up story like you would get in a long-form TV drama," Vaughan said back in 2017. "I think it's still very difficult, with what we're trying to say and do, for that to be done in film and television."

"I remain not completely opposed to it." Vaughan added. "But for me, it's so not the goal. I would rather just keep my head down and keep making a great comic book, then get out there and chase a great adaptation."

In terms of the Saga comic, the series is expected to finally return on January 26, 2022, with the series' fifty-fifth issue.

"Other than my own family, collaborating with Fiona Staples on Saga is the most important thing in my life, so I can't thank readers and retailers enough for their patience," Vaughan said in a statement when the announcement was made. "I think our next 54 issues will be even more shocking, strange, and spectacular than the first 54, so we can't wait to be back on the shelves at your local comic shop soon."