VisionQuest is officially set to alter a key scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron. The upcoming Disney+ series is a continuation of the WandaVision and Agatha All Along storylines, with Paul Bettany's Vision taking the spotlight. After being murdered and reprogrammed, Vision is on a journey to discover his purpose in VisionQuest, and his internal quest will include key moments right back to his first appearance in 2015 in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
One of the core relationships in VisionQuest is between Vision and his old foe, Ultron (James Spader), who returns to the series despite having seemingly been killed by Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron. VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas revealed in an interview with Empire Magazine that the new MCU show will retcon the last scene between Vision and Ultron by revealing that there was little more to that final interaction that fans didn't see.
In their last scene together, Vision confronts the last of Ultron's drones, questioning it whether it's afraid of death, saying, "You're the last one." The scene continues to show Vision using the Mind Stone to destroy Ultron; however, Matalas' latest comments reveal that this was not, in fact, "the last" Ultron.
The showrunner shared that Vision actually "backed him up in [Avengers: Age of Ultron]" and moved the AI program to Vision's internal hardware, where he's been kept captive in the android's mindspace for years.
Matalas added that in their last scene together, Vision "didn't really want to kill Ultron", and what fans will learn in VisionQuest is that in that final interaction, "Vision showed mercy:"
"He actually backed [Ultron] up in that movie. He always felt that he didn't really want to kill Ultron. Ultron was such a threat to humanity and he was so lost, but at the last moment, we'll find out that Vision showed mercy."
While it once appeared that Vision had put the threat of Ultron to rest in Avengers: Age of Ultron, what VisionQuest reveals 11 years later with this retcon is that the android's decision to show mercy and save a version of Ultron to his internal systems is now the reason that James Spader's villain has the ability to return in the MCU.
In VisionQuest, Ultron will be one of several AI's living within Vision's mind space, where they appear in human form to interact with Bettany's character and help him digest his experiences.
Spader told Empire Magazine that Ultron is "in a very different place" in VisionQuest compared to his iteration in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Where the robot villain was "a bit of a teenager" in his initial introduction, the actor said he's "a lot older and wiser" in the 2026 series.
"He's in a very different place. He was a bit of a teenager in Age Of Ultron, and I think he's a lot older and wiser now. That makes his sense of humour even a little bit more acute. He has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and study of behaviour, so that's only going to make him more irreverent about it all."
VisionQuest will begin streaming on Disney+ on October 14. The MCU series stars Bettany and Spader alongside Todd Stashwick, James D'Arcy, Emily Hampshire, and Orla Brady.
VisionQuest's Age of Ultron Retcon Could Have Dire Consequences
The decision in VisionQuest to reveal that Vision spared Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron is a game-changing twist, giving the MCU a chance to redeem a villain many felt was underserved and potentially having dire ramifications for the heroes.
Vision's decision to back up Ultron at the last minute may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but little did the android know that he would eventually be killed and reprogrammed, leaving him vulnerable in VisionQuest as the character re-evaluates his memories and purpose.
For a villain as cunning as Ultron, this opens up many opportunities for the program to exploit Vision, and his mentor-like disguise may only be a front for his true evil intentions.
VisionQuest has the option to go in many different directions with Ultron. The robot could learn from his past mistakes in Avengers: Age of Ultron and attempt to pursue a path to redemption by helping Vision, or his camaraderie with Vision may be a ruse to find an opportunity to strike and become the true villain of the show.
Whatever the case, Ultron's return in VisionQuest is a big opportunity for Marvel Studios to redeem the character in the eyes of the fans, after many felt the villain was not fleshed out or utilized enough in his one-and-done Avengers role. VisionQuest has the chance to be a true successor to Avengers: Age of Ultron, particularly with Vision and Ultron taking center stage in the new series.
