Paul Bettany has been with the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it started, and only now is he getting his time in the spotlight. The original voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man has gone from recording voice-over in a booth to leading his own Marvel TV show with VisionQuest. After almost 20 years in the franchise, and the looming “soft reset” of Avengers: Secret Wars nearing its arrival, the potential for Bettany to bow out of his time as Marvel’s most heroic android could certainly be around the corner.
That said, Bettany was asked directly in a new interview with Square Mile if he saw VisionQuest as his swan song for the character of Vision. The actor was quick to note that if it was up to him, he’d keep playing the character, but it’s a call that higher-ups at Marvel will need to make. “Those are decisions for people further up the food chain than me,” Bettany said. “But yes, I love playing Vision. As long as there are interesting and moving stories to tell that are fresh, I will keep doing it if I’m asked to be involved.”
The potential certainly exists that Bettany’s answer about Vision’s MCU future here is a cover for the ending of VisionQuest itself and trying to hide from spoilers, but the reality is that not only does Bettany seem to really enjoy playing the role, but that the fan reaction to his character is what keeps him coming back.
“The thing I have noticed through fans that connects with (the Marvel shows) – and why there are so many young fans of Vision, people in their 20s – is that all characters make a contract with their audience. The contract Vision has made is that he is always in a state of change and trying to figure out who he is….I think that’s the reason young people are drawn to him, because they are very much in that business of finding out who they are and what their purpose is. It’s a matter of some urgency. So Vision always needs to do that questing.”
Even though VisionQuest has been billed as the conclusion of the “WandaVision Trilogy,” it’s easy to see how the MCU could continue to utilize the character in the future, especially with Vision and Wanda’s sons Billy and Tommy getting a bigger role. Vision learning to become a mentor to younger heroes not only feels in line with a dynamic that’s fitting for the character, but also the next step in his evolution as an elder statesman of the MCU. Assuming the Young Avengers finally get their chance in the spotlight, having Bettany’s hero as the “adult” in the room could work.
Another element of Vision’s life in Marvel comics that hasn’t been explored in the MCU is his heel turn. There have been multiple storylines where Vision goes rogue or is programmed in a way to do harm, and though it might be something that some fans would revolt form, it’s a storyline that offers all-new directions for the character if done right.
What do you want to see next from Paul Bettany’s Vision? Or should the MCU recast the hero for the franchise after Secret Wars? Sound off in the comments below and let us know.
