Ever since Agatha All Along's conclusion, I’ve been patiently waiting for VisionQuest, which is the conclusion to the trilogy that began with WandaVision. With that, I have been eagerly soaking up every single tease I can get. Though until I saw the full trailer, I never thought I'd be this excited to see Ultron again. And I'm also now loving the crazy way Paul Bettany and James Spader sum up the genocidal robot's dynamic with Vision in the new series.
Bettany and Spader are now starting to speak more about their experience making this upcoming Marvel show. Earlier this summer, Bettany even described his co-star as “delicious” to work with. The new trailer shows the various AIs that are populating the "ghastly mansion" in Vision's Mindspace. Their different personalities offer him feedback as he gathers information about human beings. But the most important "guide" seems to be Ultron, who has taken on the unlikely role of mentor. During Disney's D23, Bettany discussed that dynamic with Rotten Tomatoes:
We discover that when [Vision] killed Ultron's corporal body, he actually uploaded him into his mind. And he lives in this kind of fantastic prison loft, and I go to him for advice.
Given his actions in Age of Ultron, it’s hard to imagine the Avengers' technological adversary as someone who'd be sought out for advice. That said, I love this kind of quirky relationship between the robotic father and son, and I’m sensing we have another fan-favorite MCU pairing on the horizon. What's more is that this 2026 TV schedule release is also following the same theme of parenthood covered by its predecessors.
WandaVision explored Wanda Maximoff and Vision's burgeoning roles as parental partners, while Agatha All Along focused on motherhood. (That latter also gave us an amazing performance from Kathryn Hahn.) VisionQuest is expected to specifically play with themes of fatherhood. In fact, series creator Terry Matalas said his initial pitch was greatly inspired by the scene in Age of Ultron that sees Vision and the titular character having one last conversation. Bettany described the dynamic in the show with some more funny and intriguing thoughts:
There are moments that are [reminiscent] of WandaVision. It is some real male energy, and we have a sort of father-son, therapist psychopath relationship.
During the interview, Bettany was asked to further clarify who was the therapist and who was the patient in this scenario. After he pointed to Spader, the two exchanged some humorous comments:
- Bettany: [Points to Spader]. Which is the craziest idea ever! [Laughs]
- Spader: Thank you, Terry Metalas. Because I'm giving him life advice. I'm his life coach.
- Bettany: My psychopathic life coach.
What also stands out amongst Bettany’s is hisWandaVision. It's making me wonder how similar this latest dynamic will be to Wanda and Agatha’s. Hahn’s character both taught and antagonized Wanda, which makes me feel like Ultron will take on a similar (though more humorous) role for Vision.
Paul Bettany's last MCU appearance was in that aforementioned 2021 show, in which Wanda created a living version of him in the Hex. At the same time, the government rebuilt the real Vision, but gave him a white coating. Those two androids came into contact with each other and, ultimately, White Vision gained the memories of his predecessor before flying off to parts unknown.
There are still plenty of details fans don't know when it comes to what's in store for White Vision's latest chapter. However, I'm excited by Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum's tease about the new show being “so rewarding” for fans of both the trilogy and the MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga. So I’m expecting great things, especially in regard to Paul Bettany and James Spader bringing their A-game to their roles.
Be sure to grab a Disney+ subscription so you can check out VisionQuest when it premieres on October 14 and airs episodes weekly afterwards. In the meantime, stream both WandaVision and Agatha All Along (even if they aren't on the watchlist for Avengers: Doomsday.)
