VisionQuest’s New Trailer Splits The Fanbase With Controversial Ultron Design Change

The MCU fan base was split after a new VisionQuest trailer revealed an intriguing look at Ultron's design. While fans got their first official look at VisionQuest in May 2026, along with a release date in October, much of what the show will offer remains secret from the general public. However, some controversy is brewing over privately released material from the 2026 project.

Marvel Studios released a new trailer for VisionQuest at the 2026 Upfronts event in New York City, along with confirming its release date of October 14. This trailer featured Paul Bettany in Vision's human form, seemingly watching through Vision's memories, as if they were a movie. 

However, with him is James Spader's Ultron, with Spader making his first appearance in the MCU since his debut in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the trailer, Ultron is also seen in human form for the first time, giving Spader the chance to use his own likeness in the MCU (a tease first rumored in 2025).

While fans knew Ultron would appear in human form in VisionQuest, opinions are split on the first look at him in this new Disney+ series. X user @mrfilmstock offered plenty of enthusiasm, calling it "the only reason to watch" the new series and expressing his excitement to see what Spader does.

However, a comment in a Reddit thread provided a much more negative sentiment about seeing Ultron in human form in the MCU. Specifically, it noted not being "interested in seeing Ultron in 'Spader-form,'" and found it difficult to imagine that Ultron would choose Spader's body as an image on his hard drive.

As of writing, it is unclear how much of the show Spader will spend in human form as Ultron. He is also not the only character that will appear as a human, as characters like Iron Man's DUM-E and U (plus multiple AI characters from across the MCU) will get similar makeovers upon their return in this series.

VisionQuest stars Paul Bettany, Ruaridh Mollica, James Spader, James D'Arcy, T'Nia Miller, and Todd Stashwick. It will pick up after White Vision's departure from Westview in WandaVision, as he works to regain his sense of self after being implanted with the original Vision's memories. 

Ultron's Impact in His MCU Return

When Ultron was last seen in the MCU in 2015, he was believed to have been killed after the Avengers destroyed all his physical forms and Vision shut him out of cyberspace in the final battle. However, considering how powerful he is, it would not be a shock to see Ultron find a way back into the real world and act as more than a vision (no pun intended) inside Paul Bettany's hero's head.

Considering Ultron was first introduced as an Avengers-level villain, and looking at his close ties to Vision, this reunion between them should spark fireworks. Early plot details from privately released trailers teased Ultron getting into Vision's head as he tries to regain his memories, offering creepy dialogue similar to what fans heard in his first movie.

Ultron's robot form is also expected to return in this series, which will help renew his rivalry with Vision after he originally made Vision's body his perfect form. Whether he tries to take over Bettany's White Vision body is unknown, but no matter what, Spader's villain will be no easy challenge for the titular android.