Clues You Might've Missed About 'Mary Poppins Returns'

There's two things to know about with this particular image. The first is that Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1935, during the dark, bleak era of the Great Depression, and the second is that Miranda's character is Jack, a lamplighter. What this picture appears to reveal is a roaring musical number surrounding the hugely symbolic idea of lighting the path for people. Literally in Jack's sense, and metaphorically in Mary's, who returns to the Bank family home to help them through the grief of a tragedy (reportedly, a bereavement). And she may well provide the light they need to get through it.

Behold, this charming image, which definitely recalls the whimsical way in which Poppins flew in the first movie. It's interesting to note that the character was capable of taking flight, thanks to her trusty umbrella, and that said umbrella appears to be folded up and not in use in this particular shot. But that's not to say she won't open it up, and use it afterward. It definitely looks as though Poppins, Jack, and the kids are jumping here, but I'm absolutely banking on a moment in which they take flight from one of those jumps too.

At first glance, this image is simply a charming glimpse of Jane and Michael Banks (played by the enigmatic Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw), and two of the younger generation of the family hanging with Michael's two children. But upon further inspection, it looks as though Poppins' iconic bottomless bag of tricks is just out of shot on the floor (you can see what looks like the top of it at the bottom of the screen), and in her hand is some kind of an item that one of the Banks children looks very taken with. I have no idea what it is, but I do know that if it's from Poppins' bag, it must be very special indeed.

Meryl Streep, ladies and gentlemen, who's playing Topsy Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns (Mary's cousin). And while there aren't too many clues to pick up on in this behind-the-scenes shot, it's worth noting that she is the one clearly enchanting everyone with her voice in this photo, which suggests that there's at least one Streep-led song to look forward to in the movie.

Also relevant, though, is the lamp beside her, which looks identical to the one in the background of the previous image, in the Banks home. With that in mind, it could be that Streep's song takes place in that location and that the lamp is an important prop for it, with light (once again) being a theme.

In this concept art, Cherry Tree Lane looks just as stunning and picturesque as I remember it, including the ship on top of Admiral Boom and Mr. Binnacle's house. This makes me think that we'll definitely be paying another fun-filled visit to this location in Mary Poppins Returns. A possibility that makes even more sense when you find out that veteran actor David Warner was cast as Boom in the movie.

Interestingly (and sadly), nobody was cast as Binnacle, though. Could it be that Boom is suffering his own bereavement of his old Navy pal and might help the Banks family through their own grief? Because that sounds like I might need to bring a family-sized box of tissues along to the theater with me, if so.

I can't believe we have to wait so long to see this movie. But also, I'm happy to be patient for it. Because judging from these pictures, Mary Poppins Returns is looking like a faithfully winsome sequel to the classic original.