Created by Terry Matalas – Starring Paul Bettany, James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, Lauren Morais, Emily Hampshire, James D’Arcy, and Orla Brady
A reconstructed Vision (Paul Bettany) has been living in hiding, trying to make sense of his memories and figure out who he is. When a bounty hunter named Paladin (Todd Stashwick) comes looking for him, Vision is forced out of hiding, and the appearance of a young man named Tommy Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica) raises questions about whether his son might somehow be alive.
Paul Bettany is perfectly cast as Vision.
I’ve been reading Marvel comics for years, and I’m still amazed by how completely he embodies this character. Robert Downey Jr. gets a lot of credit for being the perfect Tony Stark, and rightly so, but Bettany belongs in that same conversation. He just is Vision.
What’s particularly interesting about VisionQuest is how different this version of Vision feels. The first time around, he was almost like Pinocchio, a new being discovering humanity with curiosity and a kind of innocence. This Vision feels more like the creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He’s been reconstructed from the remains of his former self, and while he has access to an enormous amount of knowledge, he doesn’t seem to know what to do with it. He can learn about humanity, but that doesn’t mean he knows how to experience it. He’s trying to figure out whether he’s a person with an identity of his own or just a collection of memories and borrowed parts.
James Spader’s return as Ultron is a big part of what makes this work. Ultron is living inside Vision’s mind alongside the other AI programs he has downloaded, including J.A.R.V.I.S. and F.R.I.D.A.Y. Their interactions are a lot of fun, but the dynamic between Vision and Ultron is especially compelling.
You immediately assume Ultron is up to no good. He’s Ultron, after all. But there’s also a sense that he’s trying to push Vision toward something, encouraging him to stop observing humanity from a distance and actually engage with life.
Spader is delicious to watch, as always. There’s something about his delivery that makes even the most questionable things Ultron says entertaining, and the scenes between him and Bettany feel like a chess game.
The show has another interesting thread in Tommy Shepherd. We know him as Wanda and Vision’s son, but he’s also living a life that doesn’t seem to fit those memories. His relationship with Lisa (Lauren Morais), his partner in crime, gives him some welcome opportunities to show a bit more than just a character in crisis.
Todd Stashwick is solid so far as Paladin, the bounty hunter sent to track Vision down. That mystery around his past and the person who hired him gives the opening episodes another reason to keep watching, even as the show spends much of its time inside Vision’s head.
My biggest issue so far is the dialogue that keeps circling back to things we’ve already heard in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are lines and references that feel as if they’re being repeated to remind us of Vision’s history, but I’m not always sure whether they’re meant to be clever callbacks or just a way of catching up viewers who might not remember everything that came before. Sometimes they feel a little unnatural.
Still, I’m having fun with VisionQuest. Bettany is terrific, Spader is a fantastic presence, and the question of what makes Vision who he is gives the show something more interesting to explore than just another Marvel adventure. Tommy’s story adds another layer of mystery, and I’m curious to see how the different pieces come together.
TV Verdict: All In