2026's WandaVision sequel series could be the perfect place for Marvel to fix one of Season 1's biggest mistakes. Elizabeth Olsen's spell-slinging superhero finally took the spotlight in Disney+'s 2021 streaming kick-off series, following her Wanda Maximoff as she took a small town hostage for her own personal magic-induced fantasy where she had kids and her one true love, Vision (Paul Bettany), survived the events of Avengers: Infinity War. While that show was branded as a single-season effort, it has spawned several streaming spin-offs, including Agatha All Along and 2026's Vision Quest.
Next year's Vision-centric show will take a lot from the foundation set by Olsen's WandaVision series, but it also has the chance to make amends for some of that project's shortcomings. One of these glaring mistakes for many was the series' lackluster finale, which devolved into a CGI-laden fight in the sky between Olsen's titular hero and Kathryn Hahn's dastardly Agatha Harkness.
WandaVision, while critically celebrated throughout much of its run, ran into a wall for a particular sect of audiences with its final episode.
Episode 9 (subtitled "The Series Finale") has drawn criticism for its underwhelming climactic battle, most of the lovable side characters (like Darcy, Jimmy Woo, and Monica Rambeau) being sidelined, and a lack of consequences for Wanda's actions where she essentially held an entire town captive for her own therapeutic pursuits.
This resulted in what some have called another middling final chapter to an MCU story, following in the footsteps of movies like Iron Man and Shang-Chi, and laying the path for what would become a common complaint among Marvel streaming series.
Vision Quest comes to Disney+ sometime in 2026, following Paul Bettany's Vision in the wake of taking on his new form, White Vision, at the end of 2021's WandaVision. Production on the series is ongoing in London, England, with 12 Monkeys showrunner Terry Matalas heading up the project.
Bettany will be joined by a stacked cast that is said to include James Spader, Todd Stashwick, T'Nia Miller, and Emily Hampshire, as it tells the story of Vision contending with a series of AI constructs, both new and familiar.
How Vision Quest Can Fix WandaVision
Thankfully, the upcoming Vision Quest serves as something of a second chance for Marvel Studios, allowing the super-powered brand to get things right that it may have missed from WandaVision.
The Paul Bettany-led WandaVision sequel could win over many fans still shaken by the 2021 series' final episode by simply providing a finale that makes up for everything Season 1 fell short in.
The Vision Quest team could do this through several key factors.
First, including an interesting and tense final battle between Bettany's caped android and the show's central villain, Ultron (or other AIs), could go a long way.
All the creative brass behind the show needs to do is include some creative showcases of powers, dynamic fight choreography, and Vision's speedster son, Tommy, and Marvel Studios will almost surely have a winner on its hands.
Another thing to consider in the Vision Quest finale is giving the show's supporting cast significant roles in its final chapter.
Instead of throwing them to the wayside, like WandaVision did, the 2026 series could give these secondary players meaningful parts to play in the finale, getting even more audience buy-in across the ensemble rather than focusing on one hero in particular.
Lastly, Vision Quest will need to take a deep dive into the show's themes in its last episode, and reckon with whatever heady narrative fodder the AI-focused series will almost surely hang its hat on.
If the series can accomplish all of these things (plus deliver a quality experience leading into the finale on par with what WandaVision did), then it will all but certainly be an MCU show to remember.
