The upcoming WandaVision sequel series, Vision Quest, will make MCU history when it debuts, thanks to its inclusion of a particular villain. It is the second WandaVision sequel after Agatha All Along, and will continue the story of the white iteration of Vision (Paul Bettany) as he attempts to regain his memories. Several Marvel characters have been announced for Vision Quest, but one returning villain marks an important MCU milestone.
Faran Tahir is confirmed to reprise his role as Raza in Vision Quest, a villain whose first and only appearance was in Iron Man, where he served as a commander of the Ten Rings and led the group to kidnap Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Tahir's return as Raza breaks a record in the MCU, as the actor holds the longest-ever gap between appearances in Marvel Studios projects. The actor made his MCU debut in 2008, and 18 years will have passed before he finally reprises that role again in Disney+'s Vision Quest in 2026.
It's unclear how Raza will be incorporated into Vision Quest. At the end of Iron Man, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) betrayed Raza and left him paralyzed. His fate has not been addressed in any subsequent MCU films, but fans may finally get answers in Vision Quest. Tahir's 18-year gap between roles makes him a record-holder in the MCU, but he's not the only Marvel villain actor preparing to return to a Marvel Studios project after a long wait.
These Marvel Villain Actors Will Reprise Their Roles After Years-Long Gaps
Ultron
One of Tahir's greatest rivals to the record is his fellow Vision Quest cast member, James Spader, who will reprise his role as Ultron after an 11-year wait. Spader originally played the nefarious robot in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he served as the main antagonist.
Ultron was eventually defeated, with the help of Vision, marking his fate tied to his AI brethren, and he will no doubt want revenge when Vision Quest invites him back into the narrative.
Magneto
Magneto was made famous by Ian McKellan in Fox's X-Men movies, where the actor starred as the mutant villain in five different superhero films. His last appearance as the character was in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, which could've been the end for McKellan as Magneto until Marvel Studios announced his return in the MCU. When McKellan reprises his role as Magneto in Avengers: Doomsday, it will mark a 12-year gap between appearances.
Mystique
Rebecca Romijn's return as Mystique in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday will mark a whopping 20-year gap since she last played the shapeshifting X-Men mutant in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand.
This technically surpasses Tahir's 18-year claim to the record; however, Romijn's gap is between a Fox Marvel movie and an MCU movie. Tahir's appearances are both Marvel Studios projects, allowing him to retain this particular record.
Namor
One of the more recent villains introduced in the MCU was Tenoch Huerta's Namor the Submariner. Audiences first met Namor in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where he ruled over the underwater nation of Talokan and went to war with Shuri and the Wakandans. The two nations eventually formed a truce, but Namor is one of the confirmed villains set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, marking a 4-year gap in appearances for Huerta.
Bonus: Trevor Slattery
When Ben Kingsley was first cast in the MCU in Iron Man 3, he was marketed as the villain of the piece, playing the shadowy Mandarin, aka the leader of the Ten Rings. However, the movie soon revealed that Kingsley was truly playing Trevor Slattery, an in-universe actor hired to play the role of the Mandarin.
This did not please Wenwu (Tony Leung), the actual Mandarin, and so Slattery was imprisoned by the Ten Rings and eventually escaped their clutches with the help of Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The once supposed villain turned loveable actor will return at the end of 2026 in the MCU's Wonder Man, which marks a 4-year gap between Marvel Studios appearances for Kingsley.
Bonus: Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr. is a familiar face for MCU fans, having starred in the Infinity Saga as Iron Man. While RDJ is known for playing a hero, he will make a return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, playing a new character and the main antagonist, Victor von Doom (aka Doctor Doom). This will mark a 7-year gap between Marvel Studios appearances for Downey Jr., who last appeared in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
