Paul Bettany has teased what to expect from Vision Quest and how the Marvel show will differ from WandaVision. Originally announced in 2022, Vision Quest will take place after the events of WandaVision, following White Visionas the resurrected synthezoid goes on a journey of self-discovery. Bettany will be joined by James Spader, reprising his role as the villainous Ultron for the first time since Avengers: Age of Ultron.
It’s also expected that Vision Quest will see this version of Vision reunite with Wanda and Vision’s sons, super-powered twins Billy and Tommy, especially after the events of WandaVision‘s other quasi-sequel series, Agatha All Along. And yet, despite the obvious and hypothetical narrative links between Vision Quest and WandaVision, Paul Bettany has confirmed that this show will have a different thematic focus.
ScreenRant is currently on the ground at L.A. Comic Con as an official media partner; during the Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen panel hosted by ScreenRant‘s Joe Deckelmeier, Bettany revealed what he was most excited to explore in Vision Quest:
“I can’t say too much about it, and we’ve already shot it, so I’ve already explored it, but I saw a lot of it just yesterday, and it’s fantastic. I’m really excited for you all to see it.
It is about lots of things, and it’s super exciting, but in the same way that WandaVision was about grief, it’s sort of about intergenerational trauma. It’s about fathers and sons and denial of pain and denial of your own truth and coming to terms with who and what you are and what you could be.”
Vision and White Vision coming to an agreement, with Vision touching White Vision’s forehead, in WandaVision
Though it has yet to be officially confirmed, Bettany’s comments certainly seem to imply that Billy and Tommy will play an important role in Vision’s Vision Quest journey. In WandaVision‘s final episode, White Vision gains all the conjured Vision’s memories, including, presumably, his time as a father during Billy and Tommy’s accelerated childhoods.
Now that we’ve seen Billy Kaplan accept his powers and his role as Wiccan in Agatha All Along, it’s time for him to find Tommy and help his brother do the same. When Joe Locke was cast in WandaVision‘s first follow-up, Marvel withheld his character’s true identity until Agatha episode 5, “Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power.”
Actor Ruaridh Mollica has been cast as a character called “Tucker” for Vision Quest. It’s widely believed that Tucker is a codename for Tommy, just as Agatha calling Locke’s character “Teen” allowed the story to hide his role as Billy Kaplan/Maximoff/Wiccan until the reveal worked for the narrative. It might just be a matter of time before Speed makes his proper MCU debut.
Our Take On Bettany’s Comments And Vision Quest’s Story
Wanda Vision, Tommy and Billy prepare to fight in WandaVision
With Vision Quest exploring intergenerational trauma, father-son relationships, and the challenges of accepting one’s place in the world, there are arguably no three characters more suited to this kind of thematic storytelling than Vision, Tommy, and Billy. They’ve all been through the wringer, created from nothing, and forced to find their way in life.
How Ultron might play into the show’s potential father-son reunion remains to be seen. Still, I’m intrigued by Bettany’s comments and his comparison to the way WandaVision handled its examination of grief and loss. WandaVision is, in my opinion, one of the best things the MCU has produced, and not just for streaming. It’s one of the franchise’s more emotionally grounded, human stories, despite its magical influences.
Given Vision’s synthetic make-up, the twins’ unusual “births,” and Wanda’s presumed death, Vision Quest is shaping up to be one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most interesting shows yet, and I’m excited to see how it will close out Marvel’s unofficial streaming “trilogy.”
Vision Quest is slated to premiere in 2026 on Disney+.
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