#hyyyyyyyppeee

John Steele from the first game makes a return, or at least someone who looks like him. The same bow tie, white suit, black pants and rose. And the hair too.

It could just be someone else wearing the same outfit and hairstyle because everyone else seemed to age.

One of the Henchmen you can hire is Eli Barracuda Jr, son of the henchman you can hire in the former game. Jubei has also aged and worked for the former minion.

However I don’t think this is a replacement.

They have a discord giveaway of a golden statue called “John Steele’s Defeat”, a reference to the former game (if you have him captured, you force him to the doomsday device. He fights back, loses his gun, and is forced to jump into the rocket.)

I’m not sure if the statue itself canon, but I’m focused on the title. “Defeat”, I don’t think he’s dead. And the statue looks like the guy we see in the trailer.

We could say it’s a son that looks an awful lot like his father, like Eli Jr’s case. But I don’t think that’s the case.

In Emma’s trailer, she states that she’s taught him everything he knows. She’s an ex-agent who parodies “M” from the James Bond movies in the same way Steele parodies Bond. M is the teacher of James Bond.

To add on, she said she wants to teach him one more thing, “...how do die”. Referencing his infuriating immortality on the game. You can get rid of every henchman, but not him. He even survived his defeat — vexing launched into space.

She mentored John Steele.

For further confirmation that he’s still kicking and causing problems for villains, in the Choose Your Villain trailer Maximillian mentioned him by name “I need Agent Steele located and captured!”. No first name, but the last one is recognizable enough.

Both Emma and Maximilian have shown this may be a vital part of the plot for their campaigns, moreso Emma. Maybe Zalika and Red Ivan will follow in wanting his destruction because he’s a threat, which is motive enough.

We’ve established important things: John Steele is still alive, the guy in the trailers is most likely him, he is vital to the plot of at least two campaigns, and the villains want him DEAD. Or captured...

BUT. What is really catching my interest is this:

John Steele can be captured, and right after to it they show an agent getting brainwashed to be a minion. It may be unrelated but I’m thinking it may be foreshadowing?

Getting really speculative here, but I think the plot will involve him being captured by the player and maybe he really is unkillable, or he’s more useful alive. He is extremely skilled, considering everything.

Seeing the comment sections on the trailer where he’s captured, and you’ll find some comments with some people being satisfied at that. Looking at the forums, several people have a bone to pick with him because of the first game.

Imagine being able to defeat and/or kill or control your former biggest threat.