‘VisionQuest’ Showrunner Just Revealed Which Episodes Go Deepest on Vision and Ultron

Marvel’s Disney+ slate has spent years building toward the emotional fallout of ‘WandaVision,’ and the newest chapter in that story is finally coming into focus. ‘VisionQuest‘ is shaping up to be one of the studio’s most personal projects yet, built entirely around Paul Bettany’s synthezoid and the complicated legacy he carries into the series.

The eight-episode show continues the thread Marvel left dangling after ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Agatha All Along,’ following White Vision as he tries to reconnect with memories only recently restored to him. Behind the camera, ‘Star Trek: Picard’ veteran Terry Matalas has taken the reins as showrunner, shaping both the story and, as it turns out, a significant chunk of the direction himself.

Terry Matalas confirmed he directed the final two episodes of ‘VisionQuest,’ which will heavily focus on Vision and Ultron. “I was lucky enough to direct the final two episodes,” he said, via Rotten Tomatoes. “Which is very heavy on both of them.”

That last detail is likely to excite fans, since James Spader’s Ultron makes his MCU return in a genuinely unexpected way. Rather than staying gone after being destroyed at the end of 2015’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ the villain turns out to have been quietly uploaded into Vision’s own mind, existing as a kind of digital holdover the synthezoid interacts with during moments of rest.

Matalas has previously described the show as heavily featuring James Spader and Paul Bettany sharing scenes together, calling their dynamic a “core” part of the series. According to comments he made during Marvel’s Phase Hero LIVE podcast at New York Comic Con, the show functions almost as “a delivery system for Bettany and Spader,” giving both actors room to revisit their ‘Age of Ultron’ roles in an entirely new context.

The seed for that dynamic reportedly traces back to a specific moment from ‘Age of Ultron’ itself. Speaking at Disney’s D23 event in Anaheim, Matalas explained that the show’s inspiration came directly from the film’s final scene between Vision and Ultron, describing their existential conversation about humanity as one of the best scenes in the entire MCU.

‘VisionQuest’ also brings back Faran Tahir as Raza and features a supporting cast that includes T’Nia Miller, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, James D’Arcy, Orla Brady, Emily Hampshire, and Ruaridh Mollica as Vision’s son, Tommy Maximoff. The series marks the conclusion of a trilogy that began with ‘WandaVision’ and continued through ‘Agatha All Along.’

With Matalas personally directing the two episodes he’s described as carrying the most weight between Vision and Ultron, expectations for the series’ back half have only grown. Given how much thematic groundwork ‘WandaVision’ laid for Vision’s ongoing search for identity, having the showrunner himself steer the story’s most pivotal episodes suggests Marvel is treating this finale with real care.

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