Marvel Studios’ foray into streaming during the Multiverse Saga has delivered some of the MCU’s best stories, some very good, albeit not great, efforts, and even the odd disappointment. WandaVision was an instant classic, and Agatha All Along was an excellent follow-up that kept everyone guessing from week to week. With that in mind, the pressure is on VisionQuest to deliver, and the series proves to be the perfect conclusion to the WandaVision trilogy and a mind-bending digital delight in its own right.
VisionQuest is a near-flawless MCU TV series, and the only very minor complaint that springs to mind from this eight-episode masterwork is the comic book fan in me wishing there had perhaps been a few more scenes with Vision in his synthezoid form. However, when that version of the Avenger does show up, it’s suitably impactful, so it’s easy to forgive seeing so much more of Vision’s human avatar, especially when Paul Bettany delivers his best performance yet as the conflicted android. Imbued with the original Vision’s memories but none of his emotions, the conflicted android turns to his fellow AIs to help him find his place in the world, creating a digital mindscape that’s as trippy and offbeat as anything we saw in Westview or along the Witches’ Road. The production design is phenomenal, and this digital world is a delight to explore, with Easter eggs packed into every corner. What could have easily been just another CG backdrop is a painstakingly crafted new corner of the MCU that feels wholly original and unique, very much like the series itself.
Back to Bettany, and he’s firing on all cylinders here. Vision's lack of emotions only serves to make him more interesting, and the actor takes full advantage of that to explore new sides of the Avenger. His inner conflict and whether anything of the old Vision remains in his new white shell is the beating heart of a series predominantly about characters without one, and Bettany deserves an award-worthy performance as an android tortured by his past and desperate to understand his present and what that means for his future. Complicating matters is the fact that Ultron lives "rent-free" in the attic of Vision’s mindscape, with James Spader making his MCU return in style. Now given the chance to play the villain with a human avatar, the bearded behemoth of an actor delivers snark with aplomb and adds new layers to a murderous AI who may or may not have had a change of heart about wiping out humanity. Bettany and Spader are magnetic together, and the latter chews the scenery every time he’s on screen in the best way possible. He’d only played Ultron once before VisionQuest—in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron—but adds so many new depths to him here that we can say with confidence that Spader delivers one of the best performances in the entire MCU. He’s a powerhouse, reeling off killer lines one after the other.
The whole ensemble is worthy of praise, whether it’s Todd Stashwick’s stellar turn as Paladin (becoming a rare supporting villain in one of these shows you’ll be desperate to see more of) or Ruaridh Mollica’s standout take on Tommy Shepard. Lauren Morais is perhaps VisionQuest’s biggest surprise, delivering a star-making turn as Tommy’s friend, Lisa Molinari, while Orla Brady as F.R.I.D.A.Y. and Emily Hampshire as E.D.I.T.H. are every bit as delightful. Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer are both hilarious as D.U.M.-E. and U, while T'Nia Miller’s take on Jocasta is excellent on every level. This is a cast that impresses from start to finish, and they’re blessed with some of the MCU’s best writing.
Showrunner Terry Matalas already delivered one of the best Star Trek stories ever, and he’s done the same here for Marvel Television. Joined by writers Cindy Appel, Michael Taylor, Christopher Monfette, Nicole Falsetti, and Matthew Okumura, Matalas delivers an incredible series about fathers and sons, love and grief, and what it means to be human. VisionQuest repeatedly subverts expectations, and every time you think you know where it's going, the story turns everything on its head with jaw-dropping twists (the wait between episodes 7 and 8 will kill you). Crucially, it feels like the story matters, and the series ends with everyone in a vastly different place from where they started in a way that feels earned and impactful.
Lanterns recently wrapped up on HBO and proved a drab disappointment that fundamentally misunderstood its characters. In contrast, VisionQuest adds layers to them in a way that will surprise and delight fans in equal measure. The writing is gloriously unpredictable, often very funny, but also emotional where it counts, and it won’t just be an android you’ll believe can cry after tuning in. Matalas and company took great joy in adding to the MCU, and particularly in the rapport between Vision and Ultron and Vision and Tommy. This is superhero TV done right, and even when it’s bloody bonkers, VisionQuest is never anything short of brilliant.
Working as a standalone adventure, a satisfying conclusion to the WandaVision trilogy, and an exciting tease for what's to come, VisionQuest delivers a healthy amount of action, including a superb clash between Vision and Ultron that’s been glimpsed in the trailers. Jocasta is also mighty formidable, while Paladin is the badass that Taskmaster should have been. There are some exciting swings in terms of how the series adapts the comics, and the origin of AIs in the MCU comes as a surprise that deepens this world’s mythology while addressing several unanswered questions from the past (such as where these artificial intelligences get their appearances and voices). With some lengthy, hour-long episodes, VisionQuest has plenty of time to tell the story it wants, and WandaVision fans will walk away very happy; Jac Schaeffer passed the reins to Matalas to wrap up this story, and he’s done so in a way that firmly establishes that he should be on Marvel Studios’ radar to helm a future blockbuster.
Paul Bettany and James Spader are masterful in VisionQuest, a staggering achievement by Marvel Studios and Terry Matalas that understands its characters, does right by them, and delivers one of the best MCU stories ever told. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐