Yes, You Should Be Wondering Why The Conjuring's Lorraine And The Nun II's Irene Look Alike
This article contains spoilers for "The Nun II."
For the last decade, Vera Farmiga has been playing Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring Universe. Lorraine and husband Ed (Patrick Wilson) have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of evil. When James Wan first started the film series with "The Conjuring," it's doubtful that he did so realizing he was about to kick off the biggest non-Marvel cinematic universe, but that's exactly what happened. "The Conjuring" stories center on the adventures of The Warrens, while the "Annabelle" movies focus on the demon Malthus, and "The Nun" films follow the demon Valak. The stories often intersect, meaning audiences are constantly coming up with new fan theories to explain how they're all connected.
"American Horror Story" and "The Final Girls" star Taissa Farmiga is the real-life sister of Vera and was cast to play Sister Irene in "The Nun" back in 2018. Like Lorraine, Irene also has visions from God, and considering the real-life sibling casting, this has sparked a number of fan theories about how the two women might be connected in more ways than just existing in The Conjuring Universe. We recently spoke with "The Nun II" director Michael Chaves who confirmed this wasn't all in our heads. "I mean, I think from the beginning it was too much of a coincidence to have nearly identical sisters in the same movie," he explains. "I think it was always part of the ultimate goal is to tie them in and I think that there's always been a connection." He even tells us, "there's clues even in the very first 'Nun' movie if you look at it [...] people have picked out a connection before and so the idea of bloodline has already been in there."
Well, let me be your guide to all of the fan theories.
Theory: Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are the same person
When looking at the timeline of The Conjuring Universe, our introduction to Sister Irene and the events of both "Nun" films take place in the 1950s, with audiences not being introduced to Ed and Lorraine Warren until sometime in the mid-1960s. The couple's first appearance in the timeline takes place when the Warrens are called upon to help perform an exorcism on a French-Canadian farmer named Maurice and later play footage of that exorcism during a lecture in 1971 attended by Carolyn Perron from the first "The Conjuring" film. There is undoubtedly connective tissue here, but here's how the theory plays out.
Sister Irene first joined the abbey when she was a teenager, and the demon Valak (who takes the form of the evil nun) has been plaguing her with horrible visions ever since. The theory plays into the idea that following her experiences dealing with Valak, Sister Irene changed her name to Lorraine, moved back to America, and dedicated her life to battling evil spirits of all forms. This theory first gained popularity after the release of "The Nun" in 2018, but after the events of "The Nun II," this doesn't appear to be true. We know that Maurice is doomed to a failed exorcism sometime in the mid-1960s, and when the Warrens discuss the exorcism after the fact in the 1970s, they mention not being "allowed" to control the exorcisms, only assist. Sister Irene, however, is permitted to conduct exorcisms.
For this theory to hold water, it would imply that Lorraine didn't get involved during Maurice's final exorcism that would eventually lead to his untimely death. Given the appreciation we know Sister Irene has for Maurice after he saved her life in "The Nun," and her connection to him when she saved him in "The Nun II," there's no way that Lorraine wouldn't have tried her hardest to save him, thereby outing herself as Sister Irene.
Theory: Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are related
Some fans aren't sold on the idea that Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are the same person, instead believing that the two are somehow related. There have been a few theories that Sister Irene is Lorraine Warren's mother, but timeline-wise, this doesn't really make sense. Lorraine Warren was an actual person with an actual birthday, which we know to be January 31, 1927. Given Sister Irene's age in the 1950s during the events of "The Nun" and "The Nun II," there's no way she could be Lorraine's mother. Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are actually much closer in age than fans realize, as the real-life Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952 ... the same year as the events of "The Nun." There's no way that year is a coincidence, but it does destroy this fan theory. The connective tissue exists elsewhere.
While The Conjuring Universe is in no way a factual recollection of the Warrens' career as paranormal investigators, it does seem like it would be a strange creative decision to magically reveal Sister Irene as a long-lost aunt or sibling. However, this doesn't mean that the two aren't connected in a way other than through branches on a family tree. Both Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren experience visions, thought to be by God, and "The Nun II" seems to finally explain why these two have this uniquely similar gift. It also explains why the two women look so similar (outside of the fact they're played by actual siblings) within The Conjuring Universe. Are they siblings? Do they share a similar ancestor? It sure seems like it.
Theory: the Saint Lucy connection
In "The Nun II," Sister Irene and Sister Debra learn that Valak is after a religious artifact: the eyes of Saint Lucy. Also known as Saint Lucia or Saint Lukia, Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind, and Valak was attempting to locate her eyes and use their power. Sister Irene learns a bit about the history of Saint Lucy as she prepares to once again battle with the demon and learns that when Saint Lucy was killed, the government guards first attempted to set her on fire, but she wouldn't burn. Valak attempts to ignite Sister Irene during the climax of "The Nun II," but is unsuccessful. The flames don't overtake Sister Irene, and she is able to overcome Valak's grasp. Like Saint Lucy, Sister Irene won't burn.
After Saint Lucy was killed, her family members splintered off and moved all over the globe so that the Syracuse government would not kill their familial lineage. This means that her descendants don't have to be from the same area to be connected. We also learn that Sister Irene's mother also had visions, but her father thought she was mentally unwell. When Irene started showing signs of visions as well, she was sent away to the abbey. During flashbacks, we also hear Irene's mother tell her, "You have my eyes." This seems to indicate that Saint Lucy is an ancestor of Sister Irene and her mother. Perhaps this is the key to why Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren have so much in common.
They're not close relatives and they're not the same person, but they are both scions of Saint Lucy.