What To Watch Before Marvel’s ‘VisionQuest’

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015, Disney+) — Essential

This is where Vision begins life. The film introduces both the character and James Spader’s AI villain Ultron (who’s returning in VisionQuest).

When Ultron forces Tony Stark’s AI J.A.R.V.I.S. to escape into the internet, in a Frankenstein-esque turn of events, Tony and Bruce Banner combine the J.A.R.V.I.S. remnants with the power of the Mind Stone and parts of Ultron’s programming, to create Vision.

Without understanding where Vision came from, it would be very difficult to follow the final chapter of the trilogy, especially the dynamic between him and Ultron.

A must-watch.

Captain America: Civil War (2016, Disney+) — Recommended

This is where a very young Wanda and a technically very young Vision start to catch feelings for each other, over paprikash no less. The Sokovia Accords have ripped the Avengers apart and the two find themselves on opposing sides but growing closer than ever.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018, Disney+) — Essential

Wanda and Vision got to spend some more time together in this one before Thanos’ minions came for them and everything went downhill.

In order to stop Thanos from wiping out half of humanity, the Avengers needed to destroy the Infinity Stones, which included the Mind Stone in Vision’s forehead, you know, keeping him alive.

“It shouldn’t be you, but it is,” said Vision, entreating Wanda to wrest the Mind Stone off him. Somehow, she did it, only for Thanos to reverse time with another Stone and take the Mind Stone anyway.

This is where Wanda’s heart cracked in two.

WandaVision (2021, Disney+ and Hulu) — The Essential Watch

Personally, this is among my top 3 Marvel properties ever.

If you only revisit one title before VisionQuest, it has to be the wildly inventive WandaVision.

Over nine episodes, the show establishes the sitcom reality Wanda constructs out of grief, the S.W.O.R.D.-rebuilt White Vision whose memories are restored in the finale, Wanda and Vision’s kids Billy and Tommy, and the philosophical debate about identity that VisionQuest draws from.

Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (2022, Disney+) — Useful But Not Essential

At the end of WandaVision, Wanda had to give up her dream reality of a family and life with Vision. The grief, however, did stick around for a good while, and for Wanda, manifested in her pursuing dark magic through the Darkhold.

Agatha All Along (2024, Disney+) — Useful But Not Essential

Agatha All Along remains relevant to VisionQuest‘s story but you can still do without it if you must. The series sees Billy Maximoff return in a new (Joe Locke-ian) body. His brother Tommy will have a similar storyline in VisionQuest, this time played by Ruaridh Mollica. If you have already seen it, maybe watch the final two episodes? If you have not, VisionQuest will still make sense.

The Story So Far: What You Need To Know Going Into VisionQuest

At the end of WandaVision, two versions of Vision existed simultaneously. The Wanda-created Vision (the one from her grief and her powers) dissolved when Westview was restored.

The S.W.O.R.D.-rebuilt White Vision, who carried no memories or emotional life, received the original Vision’s memories from the Hex-created version during their confrontation and flew away to whereabouts unknown. That is where VisionQuest starts off.

According to the official Marvel synopsis, it is now one year after the events of WandaVision, and White Vision has been in hiding from the establishments that wanted to weaponize his powers.

He is searching for new meaning and asking the AIs in his programming: J.A.R.V.I.S. (James D’Arcy), E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire), and F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady), what to do. The familiar one, though, is previous MCU villain Ultron, played again by James Spader after 11 years, only this time he’s in both android and human form.

Vision has no choice but to come out of hiding when a bounty is placed on his head. He ends up alongside a mysterious Thomas Shepard (Ruaridh Mollica), and both go on the run together.

In the comics, Thomas Shepard is Tommy Maximoff, one of Wanda’s twin sons, who goes on to become the hero Speed and is a founding member of the Young Avengers. Elizabeth Olsen is not confirmed to appear (yet) though the series is built on the emotional residue of her character’s story.

The supporting cast also includes T’Nia Miller as Jocasta, an android character from the Marvel comics with deep ties to Ultron; Todd Stashwick as Paladin, a mercenary described, and Faran Tahir reprising his role as Raza, the Ten Rings leader first seen in Iron Man.

What To Expect From VisionQuest

Where WandaVision was about love and loss and the danger of refusing to feel either, VisionQuest appears to be about identity, and the philosophy of personhood. “This Vision is beginning to ask a more complicated question – What, or perhaps who, is he?” said Bettany at D23 in August this year. “And what is it that makes us actually human?”

It’s the Ship of Theseus all over again — if you put someone else’s entire consciousness and all of their memories into a replica of their body, are they still the same person? Will they ever be?

Rather relevant questions for the day and age.

Adding to the existential chasm is the Ultron question. What does artificial intelligence owe its creators, and what is it owed in return, if anything at all?

Bettany and Spader had a wry exchange at D23 about Ultron’s return.

“Frankly, I can’t believe it took you so long to turn to me,” said Spader, Spader-esquely. “Everyone knows that Ultron has long been fascinated by humanity.”

“I seem to recall you were most interested in wiping them out,” returned Bettany.

VisionQuest is the last new live-action Marvel series on Disney+’s currently announced schedule, as well as the final MCU addition before Doomsday in December. Large footsteps await this show, let’s see if VisionQuest has what it takes.