Does One Major Character Get a New Robot Duplicate in 'Westworld' Season 2?

The second season of Westworld will show a robot revolution in full swing, but what the hell is up with the Man in Black? When we last saw him, it looked like he was welcoming death at the hands of the Hosts turning against their makers. But, the new trailer for Season 2 has fired up the fan theory engines. Here are two crazy ideas for what will happen with the Man in Black in the upcoming new episodes.

Spoilers for Westworld Season 1 ahead.

On Thursday, HBO released the latest trailer for Westworld Season 2. And in addition to teasing Shogun World and rebooting a Nirvana classic, the footage also gave us a glimpse at both versions of the Man in Black. In the first season, one of the biggest twists was that William (Jimmi Simpson) and the Man in Black (Ed Harris) were the same exact same person. Simpson was simply playing the character when he was younger during flashbacks, while Harris played an embittered and much older version of the same character. But, because Simpson is back for the new season, what does it mean? Here are two ideas.

The Man in Black Turns Good and Simpson Stuff is All Flashbacks

So, the easy explanation about the presence of Jimmi Simpson in the new season is simply that there are more flashbacks in this season that will continue to explain the backstory of what has already happened. Combined with that, the new trailer seems to suggest that the older Man in Black is out to destroy the entire park. “I’m going to burn this all down,” Ed Harris growls. Earlier in the trailer, he also mentions that the robot Hosts are now “free.” So, it seems like despite being an awful person, the Man in Black might actually end up siding with the Host revolt? Maybe?

William in the New Season is a Robot Host Clone of the Young William

So … what if Simpson’s return to the role of William isn’t connected to flashbacks at all? What if someone creates a straight-up robot duplicate of him? In the new trailer, we see William in one of the labs with someone that looks to be Dolores. Sure, this could be a flashback, but it would be way better if it wasn’t. If a younger version of William can be turned into a Host, it would create all sorts of interesting and conflicting feelings for Dolores. Plus, the contemporary version of William — the Man in Black — would probably be pretty pissed about a robot clone of himself. So much so, it could drive him to destroy the entire park in some kind of self-hating act of revenge.

Because the first season of Westworld revealed that Jeffrey Wright’s Bernard was a Host late in the game, it’s not crazy to suggest the return of Jimmi Simpson also means he’s a robot, too.

Westworld Season 2 hits HBO on April 22, 2018.