“What is grief, if not love persevering?”
As relevant as it proved to WandaVision, that line remains at the core of VisionQuest, where we find one of the strongest Avengers experiencing an existential crisis of sorts as he’s finally forced to come to terms with everything that’s transpired since Thanos ripped that Mind Stone from his head. Is he still The Vision, or is he someone else entirely?
*This review contains mild spoilers from the full season of VisionQuest*
It’s been five years since we saw the rebuilt Vision fly off to destinations unknown in the WandaVision finale, and the new series brings us up to speed relatively quickly. We find his physical form living in relative obscurity in Edinburgh—a location that obviously held significance for the “old” Vision. He’s shut himself off from the outside world, and the world has seemingly forgotten him as well—or so he thinks, until a potentially omniscient new adversary comes knocking and turns everything he thought he knew on its head.
As he seeks answers, he crosses paths with a youngster named Thomas Shepherd, who opens a different can of worms as he could be the son he - or his past self - thought was lost forever. As his predicament becomes exceedingly more complicated and unpredictable, Vision enlists his family of Stark A.I.—J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., D.U.M.-E , and U—to help navigate the situation. When that proves insufficient, he has to dig even deeper into the well and unearth the monstrous Ultron to help him save the world—or, maybe, destroy it.
Simply put, VisionQuest is incredible, and one of the most beautiful stories Marvel Studios has ever told from start to finish. In the same way WandaVision allowed Wanda to process her grief, this new limited series gives Vision the space to process his. There’s an immense amount of heart throughout, and while it certainly delivers on its promise of large-scale superheroics, the eight hours simultaneously feel deeply intimate as we dive into Vision’s subconscious and are treated to unadulterated comic book spectacle that reminds you exactly what continues to make the Marvel Cinematic Universe so special.
Following his resurrection, Vision has spent the past few years trying to figure out who he is: Is he the same Avenger we previously knew, or someone else entirely? Does he share his predecessor’s moral compass and empathy toward humanity, or is he simply an unregistered weapon waiting to be unleashed? What does his A.I. family mean to him? What does Tommy mean to him? What does Ultron mean to him? These are some of the questions shaping the conundrum Vision aims to solve, and watching Paul Bettany navigate this complex emotional turnstile is absolutely riveting. He’s been among the most reliable actors in the MCU since its inception, and his latest outing is easily his finest work yet. Going from key supporting player to leading man is no small order, but Bettany handles it with aplomb. He is the soul of the show—which is only a little ironic considering he’s playing a character who is constantly questioning whether he even has one.
With human characters—like Wanda, for instance—it’s easier to digest their pain. She’s a character we love, she’s experienced immense loss, and her attempts to cope proved misguided. There’s obviously a superhero slant there, but her natural human emotions were relatable and her actions could be understood. However, with Vision, who operates on pure logic and quantifiable datasets, grief isn’t something that can be defined so easily. Vision—or the previous version—experienced almost everything Wanda did, but his processing unit sees death as the natural end of a life cycle. Therefore, he believes Westview wasn’t real; it was just an imaginary construct built by a witch. He knows she’s capable of the unimaginable, but coming to terms with everything that’s transpired is just out of reach because, if he were to accept it, it would mean confronting something he can’t quite compute. There’s a lot to dissect across the eight episodes, and Bettany traverses the complexity of his character’s confusion with expert precision. He’s effortlessly funny, completely convincing as an unstoppable superhero, and will make you feel things you didn't think possible. He is The Vision!
Bettany’s performance is further enhanced by the delightful return of James Spader as Ultron. The three-time Emmy winner wastes little time finding his rhythm again, ultimately stealing the show as Vision’s ideal counterweight. While Vision seeks to understand who he is, Ultron aims to determine what it means to be real. With no physical form, the former Avengers villain has been relegated to Vision’s Mindscape—but that doesn’t stop him from sharing his thoughts on humanity and Vision’s naïve decision-making, among other things. Spader is a total joy to watch and is gifted with some of the best, most thought-provoking dialogue ever written for the character, which he delivers like a true master of his craft. His father-son (or something) dynamic with Bettany is a blast to watch and provides a refreshing new direction for one of the MCU’s most formidable antagonists.
The entire supporting cast is phenomenal. Ruaridh Mollica is a welcome addition as the grown-up Tommy Maximoff, and his search for his father alongside their subsequent interactions provide some of the series’ most heartwarming moments. Todd Stashwick and Lauren Morais are standouts as Paladin and Lisa Molinari, respectively, with the series setting the three of them on an unexpected path that will likely leave viewers clamoring for more.
At its core, VisionQuest is about family, and our hero is aided by one of the best. Emily Hampshire, Orla Brady, James D'Arcy, Henry Lewis, and Jonathan Sayer are all extremely endearing in their roles, bringing both humor and emotion as they do everything in their power to help Vision get to the bottom of this season-long mystery surrounding his mystery assailant. Speaking of mysteries, T'Nia Miller is also fantastic as Jocasta, who—without getting into spoilers—is on her own journey that ultimately puts her on a collision course with Vision before season's end. Her scenes opposite Spader are compelling, to say the least, and help open a previously unexplored window into Ultron’s psyche.
It cannot be said enough: the writing on this series is simply sublime. Showrunner Terry Matalas and his team knock it out of the park with an unpredictable story and immensely intricate dialogue, crafting some of the MCU’s soon-to-be most quotable lines. The show is inherently weird, and the writers fully embrace that weirdness—leaning into its wild premise rather than having two charismatic leads act like being a superhero is a drag. Being a hero in the MCU is awesome and these writers know it, taking us on an action-packed roller coaster of an adventure while delivering the exact blend of heart, humor, and fun Easter eggs fans crave.
Spoiler alert, but Wanda Maximoff doesn't appear nor do we receive any updates on her status, but the weight of her love is felt across the entire series.
The special effects are top-notch, making the series a pure visual delight. It’s arguably the first MCU show since WandaVision that looks and feels as massive as one of the blockbuster movies. Mick Giacchino’s score is special as well; keep your ears peeled for clever musical cues that call back to a number of key moments from the MCU's storied past.
If we had to nitpick anything, the episodes—which all run right around an hour apiece—can occasionally feel long, though considering the reality-bending scope of the story, it’s easily forgiven. You’ll fall in love with these characters, and it was genuinely difficult to say goodbye when the credits rolled on episode eight. But then again, like The Vision once said, a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts…
Ultimately, VisionQuest is extraordinary—a brilliantly written and masterfully acted exploration of love, loss, family, grief, and change. It shows us what it means to feel, what it means to be human, and serves as an outstanding thematic capstone to this Wanda and Vision trilogy. Existing on its own terms—unburdened by its past in WandaVision or the franchise’s upcoming December showdown, Avengers: Doomsday—the series is about Vision and Vision alone, showcasing what makes this core Avenger one of the greatest to ever do it.
Marvel Television’s “VisionQuest,” an all-new original series coming exclusively to Disney+ October 14, concludes the epic trilogy that began with 2021’s groundbreaking, award-winning “WandaVision” and 2024’s acclaimed “Agatha All Along.” Vision, rebooted and having escaped from those who sought to weaponize him, has been in hiding. Searching for new meaning, he consults the AI personas embedded in his programming, including F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., J.A.R.V.I.S., and the infamous Ultron. His discreet existence ends when a bounty placed on his head thrusts him on the run with Thomas Shepherd, a mysterious boy who may be Vision’s son, reincarnate. As Vision evades capture, he must confront his nature, resist Ultron's influence, and unravel the enigma that is his young companion if he’s to survive.