After months of fan anticipation and speculation, VisionQuest finally premiered on Disney+ with its first two episodes this week, bringing with it a host of reveals, from one major character’s shocking death to, as the trailers had promised, the reunion of Vision and Tommy. However, it seems one hilarious line from these first two episodes may never have existed, had things gone a little differently. Specifically, James Spader, who was the original actor for Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron and now plays him in human and robot form in VisionQuest, almost pushed back against the moment in which Ultron is described as an “a—hole” on screen—but then he realized why the line should stay.
Speaking with People, Spader explained, “I’ve always found that word to be just one of the worst insults that you can call somebody…That’s a rough thing to call somebody.” However, that perspective ultimately changed after he watched the episode with his family. “I screened the show with my partner, Leslie, and our son, Nathaneal. That came up on the screen and they both started laughing hard,” Spader said. “And I never called Terry [Matalas] because at the end of the day, I guess that’s who I am, which is not an a—hole. But if there’s a laugh, always go to the laugh.” Ultimately, Spader described this as “…one of my favorite things that has transpired in the entire making of the show, because I love it when I’m proven wrong about something, because it teaches me about what really is right.”
Although the focus of VisionQuest is, obviously, Vision, and Tommy is seemingly the second most prominent character, Ultron is arguably going to be the most interesting overall. Yes, Vision and Tommy are both trying to sort out the events of WandaVision and figure out who they are, and that’s a compelling story arc as well, but Ultron’s motivations and direction still feel entirely mysterious after two episodes. He is clearly still villainous at heart, but he’s also taken on this odd fatherly role for Vision and grandfatherly role for Tommy. Now it just remains to be seen how genuine he is in either capacity. Based on Age of Ultron and even his behavior in these first two episode of VisionQuest, it seems more likely than not that he hasn’t amended his ways truly, but that isn’t confirmed.
Perhaps we could actually see Ultron turning a new leaf in VisionQuest, which could in turn raise questions about his future in the larger MCU, or maybe he will prove himself to be what many are expecting: still a villain. In either case, it’s already proven to be delightful to watch Spader be the human version of this character he played several years back, and it’s fascinating to think that maybe Spader has himself grown fond of the character, given that he originally thought this insult was a step too far.
What do you expect Ultron’s story arc to be in VisionQuest? Do you think he remains purely a villain? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
