James Spader’s Ultron is making his MCU return in the Disney+ series VisionQuest, releasing later this year. In a recent interview, Paul Bettany, who is headlining it, shared that Vision‘s relationship with him was the primary driver of the story. The AI-powered villain last appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In it, the eponymous superhero team defeated him, with Vision delivering the killing blow.
Paul Bettany on James Spader’s ‘delicious’ Ultron role in VisionQuest
On Happy, Sad, Confused with Josh Horowitz, Paul Bettany expressed excitement at getting to work with James Spader again, calling his reprisal of Ultron “delicious.” The actor shared, “He’s so funny in this. It’s so delicious to watch him. And we loved working together.”
The host subsequently pressed him for more details on Spader’s portrayal of the robotic antagonist. However, presumably not wanting to spoil anything, Bettany declined to share, jokingly noting it’s “beyond his pay grade.” However, he did tease that the narrative revolved around Ultron and Vision’s dynamic.
Also in the interview, Bettany revealed that VisionQuest takes a “huge” swing with its presentation compared to WandaVision. He added, “It manages to feel very much like it’s somehow a part of that world.”
The actor further noted that the upcoming show not only caps off the trilogy started by the latter — and continued by Agatha All Along — but also manages to be a standalone entry in the series.
He then expressed pride in his work on the show, saying he has seen cuts of it that keep “getting better and better.” Bettany continued, “As all the effects get placed in.” The Solo: A Star Wars Story actor also touched upon the show’s tone. He noted, “It’s funny, and it’s moving, and it’s super exciting.” In addition, the actor praised showrunner Terry Matalas‘ work, saying the latter did a “grand job.”
VisionQuest, consisting of eight episodes, will premiere on October 14, 2026. In addition to Bettany and Spader, the show stars Emily Hampshire, Diane Morgan, Orla Brady, T’Nia Miller, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and James D’Arcy.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on SuperHeroHype.