Michael Jonathan Smith says we can expect to see some game-accurate backstory for Raven, whose mysterious and powerful character takes an important turn in season 2.
"Patty Guggenheim plays Raven. And look, after season one, you get a sense that Raven is like a master puppeteer. And we really want to push that going into season two. So we had this idea in the writers room that Raven like, what if, how does Raven control all of San Francisco?" Smith told the crowd at SDCC during the Twisted Metal season 2 panel. "Well, what if there were multiple ravens, and what if the Raven that we met in season one was actually like just one of those multiple Ravens? So we had to have a boss Raven, and Patty plays this, like overseer Raven, the real Raven, even – incredible. And it allowed us to, you know, bring in this new character."
In Twisted Metal season 1, we thought we met the real Raven (played by Neve Campbell), but as Smith revealed, she was just one of many that we may meet as the show goes on. In the video game franchise, Raven is a teenager who enters the tournament after Calypso informs her that it's the only way she can avenge the death of her best friend Kelly. She drives a 1960 Cadillac Funeral Car known as Shadow, which is actually the same hearse that took Kelly to her funeral that Raven then souped up with special attacks.
In the show, Raven is an all-powerful being who rules over New San Francisco. At the end of season 1, Raven enlists John Doe (Anthony Mackie) to enter the tournament on her behalf, and that he was no other choice but to win. Despite the differences between the TV show and game, it looks like Kelly will remain the reason for Raven's debauchery, and her motive will continue to be that of revenge.
Continued Smith: "And what's so amazing is that this also allowed us to dive deeper into Raven's backstory and pull from the game. So you get to understand very good backstory. We get to choose – if you're a hardcore instrumental fan, you get to see a little glimpse of Kelly, which is great. And I'm really excited to kind of dive deeper into these characters and kind of understand why all of them are kind of entering the tournament."
Keep track of all the latest news from this year's San Diego Comic Con with our regularly updated live blog. Twisted Metal season 2 is set to hit Peacock on July 31. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our ever-growing list of upcoming video game adaptations.
