Marvel's VisionQuest has officially hit the 2026 TV schedule, and if you were a fan of NBC's The Blacklist, consider it appointment television. Those with a Disney+ subscription and a love for the espionage series will find themselves in love with the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially since James Spader plays a major role.
Readers may be aware that Spader reprises his role as Ultron, first seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron. What they might not have thought about was how similar Ultron was to The Blacklist's lead character, Raymond Reddington. I hadn't clocked it until these first two episodes, which make it feel as though I'm watching a spiritual successor to NBC's beloved spy series.
Ultron In Human Form Is Just Raymond Reddington With A Beard
It's easy to see the similarities between Raymond Reddington and Ultron once the latter no longer looks like a robot and is without powers. Both are infinitely clever, and much like Red use to keep great secrets, Ultron always seems to be one step ahead. He's as conniving as ever in this latest series, in a way I feel we didn't see in Age of Ultron.
Of course, the second Avengers movie was more intent on showing Ultron's power, and not his inherent cunning nature. Showcasing his intellect and wit plays to VisionQuest's advantage, as it likely doesn't have the budget of the average Marvel movie.
The good news is fans of The Blacklist will feel as though they're back with Reddington, but this time, he has an obscenely long beard. I should also note that the portrayal is in no way a retcon to Ultron, as I know some Avengers 2 fans may fear that's the case. It just turns out these two characters are very similar, and it took removing the CGI and voice modulation for me to see it.
VisionQuest Mixes High-Minded Drama With Lots Of Intrigue and Mystery
I can't say that VisionQuest is a spy drama, but it certainly has the same sort of beats two episodes in. There's a lot of tense debate between Vision and Ultron, who have a quasi father-son dynamic, mysterious forces using hacking to manipulate others, and an air of mystery leading the viewer to wonder who is really pulling the strings in all this.
The series won't, unfortunately, answer any lingering questions tied to The Blacklist finale, but it may presumably provide a major piece to the puzzle for what's on the way in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars. I know there have been widespread rumors that Ultron will return in the blockbuster movie, so I'm assuming VisionQuest will set the stage and make sense of how that happens. It does feel as though he's plotting something. I'm just not sure what yet.
New episodes of VisionQuest will drop on Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. The first two episodes have me officially on board and wanting more, and wondering if The Blacklist will ever get a revival.
