VisionQuest
Upcoming Marvel Studios television miniseries
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VisionQuest is an upcoming American television miniseries created by Terry Matalas for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Vision. A spin-off from the miniseries WandaVision (2021), it is intended to be the 18th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Marvel Studios and is produced under its Marvel Television label. The series shares continuity with the films of the MCU. It follows the android Vision as he attempts to understand who he is by communicating with AI personas embedded in his programming, and goes on the run with a mysterious teenager who may be his reincarnated son. Matalas serves as showrunner and a director.
| VisionQuest | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Terry Matalas |
| Based on | Marvel Comics |
| Showrunner | Terry Matalas |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Mick Giacchino |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Roopesh Parekh |
| Production location | London |
| Cinematography |
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| Editor | Amelia Allwarden |
| Production company | Marvel Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Related | |
Paul Bettany reprises his role as Vision from previous MCU media, starring alongside James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, T'Nia Miller, Lauren Morais, Orla Brady, Diane Morgan, Polly Frame, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Emily Hampshire, and James D'Arcy. Development of a Vision series began by October 2022, with WandaVision's Jac Schaeffer as head writer. She was no longer involved by May 2024, when Matalas was redeveloping the series and Bettany was confirmed to be starring. It was described as the final installment in a trilogy that began with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along (2024). Filming began by March 2025 and wrapped in July, taking place at Pinewood Studios in London with Christopher J. Byrne, Gandja Monteiro, Vincenzo Natali, and Matalas directing episodes. Casting for the AI personas included some returning MCU characters and actors.
VisionQuest is scheduled to debut on Disney+ on October 14, 2026, and will consist of eight episodes. It will be part of Phase Six of the MCU.
Premise
After being resurrected in WandaVision (2021), the android Vision lives in hiding while he attempts to understand who he is by communicating with various AI personas that are embedded in his programming. When a bounty is placed on Vision's head, he goes on the run with a mysterious teenager who may be his reincarnated son.[1]
Cast and characters
- Paul Bettany as Vision:
A superpowered android and former Avenger created using the AIs J.A.R.V.I.S. and Ultron as well as the Mind Stone. Vision was killed in the film Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and then resurrected, with an all-white appearance and no memories or emotions, in the series WandaVision (2021).[2] After his memories were restored at the end of that series, Vision is now struggling to reconnect with those memories because he has no emotional attachment to them,[3][4] with showrunner Terry Matalas calling him a "blank slate";[5] he compared this journey to that of the Star Trek character Spock in the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).[6] Vision sees various AI personas in his mind,[7] and like them, assumes a human avatar when he retreats into it.[3][8] - James Spader as Ultron:
An AI created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner for a peacekeeping program, before developing a god complex and attempting to eradicate humanity. Since his android body was destroyed at the end of the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[9] Ultron has lived within the mind of his creation, Vision, where he has access to the internet and spends his time painting.[10][11] Matalas said the interactions between Vision and Ultron were a central dynamic for the series,[12] with Spader declaring that Ultron both loves and hates Vision,[11] and that the two characters have a "sort of father-son-therapist-psychopath" relationship.[13] Matalas first proposed bringing Spader back to Bettany, who liked the idea but had some doubts on if he would accept, but once Spader agreed, the show's themes were set in stone.[4] - Ruaridh Mollica as Tommy Maximoff / Speed and Thomas Shepherd:
Tommy Maximoff is the speedster son of Vision and Wanda Maximoff. In the series Agatha All Along (2024), his twin brother Billy Maximoff placed Tommy's soul into the body of Thomas Shepherd, a teenager who drowned.[7][14][15] Mollica described Tommy as a grifter and small-time thief who is "lost in his life" and searching for a purpose.[16] - Todd Stashwick as Paladin:
A bounty hunter who is looking for Vision.[6] Matalas compared Paladin to the Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett. Stashwick described the character as a badass and said he was similar to previous roles that Matalas had written for him.[17] - T'Nia Miller as Jocasta: A cunning and powerful robot driven by revenge[18]
- Lauren Morais as Lisa Molinari: A young woman with a connection to Shepherd[19]
- Orla Brady as F.R.I.D.A.Y.:
An AI created by Stark to replace J.A.R.V.I.S. as his personal assistant.[6] The series explores Stark's death in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019) from F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s perspective, with Matalas noting that the character was unable to protect the one person she had been programmed to protect.[20] - Diane Morgan as an associate of Paladin[19]
- Polly Frame[1]
- Henry Lewis as D.U.M.-E: A robot created by Stark to assist him in his workshop[21]
- Jonathan Sayer as U: A robot created by Stark to assist him in his workshop[21]
- Emily Hampshire as E.D.I.T.H.:
An AI created by Stark that runs an augmented reality security and defense system. After Stark's death, control of E.D.I.T.H. was briefly bequeathed to Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).[22] - James D'Arcy as J.A.R.V.I.S.:
The first AI created by Stark, developed to serve as his personal assistant before being used to create Vision in Age of Ultron.[23] In Vision's mind, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s human avatar resembles Edwin Jarvis, who served as the inspiration for his creation.[24]
Additionally, Faran Tahir reprises his role as Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings faction that kidnapped Stark in the film Iron Man (2008). Raza was seemingly killed by Obadiah Stane in that film.[25] Also appearing are Cristian Lavin as a mercenary,[26] and Mary McDonnell in an undisclosed role.[27]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by [32] | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBA | Christopher J. Byrne[28] | Terry Matalas | October 14, 2026[3] |
| 2 | TBA | Christopher J. Byrne[28] | Terry Matalas | TBA |
| 3 | TBA | Gandja Monteiro[29] | Cindy Appel | TBA |
| 4 | TBA | Gandja Monteiro[29] | Michael Taylor | TBA |
| 5 | TBA | Vincenzo Natali[30] | Christopher Monfette | TBA |
| 6 | TBA | Vincenzo Natali[30] | Nicole Falsetti | TBA |
| 7 | TBA | Terry Matalas[31] | Matthew Okumura | TBA |
| 8 | TBA | Terry Matalas[31] | Terry Matalas | TBA |
Production
Background
In March 2009, Marvel Studios hired writers to help come up with creative ways to launch its lesser-known properties, including the Marvel Comics character Vision.[33] Paul Bettany was cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) incarnation of Vision for the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). This version of the character is an android who is partially created from J.A.R.V.I.S., an AI assistant voiced by Bettany in earlier MCU films. Following Vision's death in the film Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Bettany was revealed to be portraying a reassembled and reactivated version of the character in the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021). This version was referred to as "White Vision" or simply "The Vision",[34][35][36] and has an all-white appearance, similar to when the comic book character was resurrected with an all-white body and no memories or emotions.[34]
Jac Schaeffer, the head writer of WandaVision, signed a three-year overall television deal with Marvel Studios in May 2021 to develop additional Disney+ projects.[37] By October 2022, they were developing a series called Vision Quest,[38][39] which would center on Bettany's "White Vision". Schaeffer was set as head writer after working on another WandaVision spin-off series, Agatha All Along (2024).[39] Development of a Vision series was rumored as early as March 2021.[40] The name "Vision Quest" was previously used for a comic book storyline in West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #42–45 (1988–1989);[38][41] it was unclear if the series would be a direct adaptation of that comic.[38] A writers' room was set to be formed in early November 2022,[38][39] to include Peter Cameron, Megan McDonnell, and Eileen Shim.[42][43] Cameron and McDonnell worked on WandaVision and Agatha All Along.[42] Vision Quest was expected to follow "White Vision" as he attempts to regain his memories and humanity, with potential for Elizabeth Olsen to reprise her MCU role as Vision's wife Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch.[39]
Development
By October 2023, Marvel Studios shifted its creative philosophy to a more traditional television development process, moving away from head writers and beginning to hire dedicated showrunners for its series.[44] By May 2024, Schaeffer was no longer developing Vision Quest due to her focus on making Agatha All Along,[2] as well as for "personal reasons" according to Bettany,[4] with Terry Matalas joining to redevelop the series and serve as its showrunner.[2] Marvel Studios hired Matalas after being impressed with his work on the third season of Star Trek: Picard (2023), with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige being a particular fan of the Star Trek franchise.[2][45] Matalas was also set to direct for the series, alongside Christopher J. Byrne, Vincenzo Natali, and Agatha All Along episodic director Gandja Monteiro.[46]
Matalas met with Schaeffer upon joining the project, and Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum said it would be a "love letter" to the work Schaeffer had done, while being unique to Matalas.[47] The series was still being referred to by Marvel as Vision Quest,[48][49][25] but The Hollywood Reporter said this was not its official title.[9][50] Disney was referring to the series as simply Vision by May 2025,[51] before the title was officially announced as VisionQuest that October. The series has been described as the final installment of the trilogy that began with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along.[23] Describing the relationship to those other two series, Matalas said VisionQuest was more of a sequel to WandaVision, while touching on some elements from Agatha All Along.[52] Marvel Studios's Mary Livanos, who worked on those two series, returned as an executive producer for VisionQuest,[48] alongside Schaeffer and Byrne,[53] while Roopesh Parekh was a producer.[54] The series is being released under Marvel Studios' "Marvel Television" label.[2]
Bettany said VisionQuest would serve as a "springboard" for Vision's future MCU appearances, with the series acting as the beginning of a "new type" of Vision.[4]
Writing
A writers' room opened during the week of May 20, 2024,[55] featuring Cindy Appel, Michael Taylor, Christopher Monfette, Nicole Falsetti, and Matthew Okumura, alongside Matalas.[32] Matalas described the series as an adventure, mystery drama, while also having elements of surreal comedy.[52]
VisionQuest is set around 2028, years after the events of WandaVision,[56] at the end of which Vision's memories were restored,[3] and focuses on the character's struggle to reconnect with those memories because he has no emotional attachment to them,[7][4] causing him to undergo an identity crisis. As part of his attempts to understand who he is, Vision interacts with the human population during the day, while at night he immerses himself in a virtual reality (VR) within his own mind—a space resembling a massive mansion filled with environments he can change at will. There, he communicates with various AI personas that are embedded in his programming; all of them assume human avatars and possess distinct characteristics that help Vision understand different qualities and abilities.[8][4] Bettany said the AI personas are inside Vision's mind because the character had "been saving and copying and pasting them to keep them alive", including the villainous Ultron, who is Vision's creator. Bettany said Ultron "has to be kept behind a pretty impressive firewall because he's a psychopath".[57] Matalas explained that Ultron returns in the series after his apparent death in Age of Ultron because the creative team wanted to include a character who was "really strong for Vision to play off of", and since they did not have access to Wanda, Ultron was chosen instead.[13]
The series continues the WandaVision trilogy theme of exploring parenthood, specifically fatherhood. Winderbaum said VisionQuest was about three generations—a grandfather, father, and son—and would explore if a man who had an abusive father could be a good father himself.[58] Bettany said VisionQuest explores intergenerational trauma with fathers and sons, similar to how WandaVision explores grief, as well as "denial of pain, and denial of your own truth, and coming to terms with who and what you are".[59] Matalas said each episode feels like a different kind of film, similar to how each episode of WandaVision pays homage to a different era of American sitcoms.[60] Winderbaum said Matalas "knows the lore" of the MCU and the series would be rewarding for fans who had followed the franchise for years.[7] Matalas described one scene in the finale as "a Marvel dream".[12]
Casting
Bettany was confirmed to be reprising his MCU role of Vision with the news of the series' redevelopment in May 2024.[2] In August, James Spader was set to reprise his role as Ultron from Age of Ultron.[9] Todd Stashwick, who worked with Matalas on the television series 12 Monkeys (2015–2018) and Picard, joined the cast a month later.[50] In January 2025, Faran Tahir was revealed to be reprising his role as Raza from the first MCU film, Iron Man (2008).[25] Ruaridh Mollica joined the cast a month later as a character referred to as "Tucker",[61] and T'Nia Miller was cast in the leading role of the robot Jocasta in May.[18] Soon after, Emily Hampshire was revealed to be portraying the key role of E.D.I.T.H.,[22] an AI introduced in the MCU film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) where she was voiced by assistant editor Dawn Michelle King.[62]
Matalas revealed in August 2025 that Stashwick was playing the comics character Paladin, and that Picard star Orla Brady was portraying the AI F.R.I.D.A.Y., replacing Kerry Condon who voiced the character in several MCU projects.[6] Mary McDonnell was revealed as part of the cast the next month.[27] In October, several more cast members were revealed: Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer as D.U.M.-E and U, respectively, two robots seen in the MCU films;[21] and James D'Arcy as J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI originally voiced by Bettany in the MCU films. D'Arcy portrayed Edwin Jarvis, the human inspiration for the AI J.A.R.V.I.S., in several MCU projects.[23][62] Mollica was revealed to be portraying Tommy Maximoff / Speed and Thomas Shepherd, taking over from Jett Klyne who portrayed Tommy in WandaVision and the MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).[7][23] In November, Lauren Morais and Diane Morgan were revealed to be respectively portraying Lisa Molinari and an associate of Paladin.[19] In April 2026, Cristian Lavin was revealed to have been cast in the role of a mercenary.[26]
Design
Will Hughes-Jones was the production designer,[63][independent source needed] with Sarah Young as the costume designer after she was an assistant costume designer on Age of Ultron.[64][independent source needed]
Filming
Principal photography began by March 14, 2025, at Pinewood Studios in London,[65] under the working title Tin Man,[66] with Byrne, Monteiro, Natali, and Matalas directing.[46] Christopher Ross, Ben Smithard, and Neville Kidd were the cinematographers.[67][68][independent source needed] Location shooting took place in and around London.[63][independent source needed] Filming wrapped in late July 2025,[54] and was completed in August,[63][independent source needed] when Matalas indicated that production spanned seven months.[17]
Post-production
Amelia Allwarden is editing the series after working on the Marvel Studios series Echo (2024).[69][independent source needed]
Music
Mick Giacchino, the son of frequent MCU composer Michael Giacchino, was revealed to be composing the series' score in March 2026.[70]
Marketing
Footage from the series was included in a sizzle reel that was shown at Disney's upfront presentation in May 2025.[51] Bettany and Winderbaum promoted the series during a Marvel Animation and Marvel Television panel at the 2025 New York Comic Con, where footage was shown.[23] Mekishana Pierre and Nick Romano at Entertainment Weekly noted the "trippy setting" of a mansion in Vision's mind where he sees personifications of other AIs from the MCU, comparing this to the "reality-warping vibes" of WandaVision and Agatha All Along.[7] The appearance of Spader as Ultron in both robot and human forms was also noted by commentators.[7][14][71] Bettany and Matalas promoted the series during the 53rd Saturn Awards ceremony in March 2026,[72] and Bettany appeared at Disney's May upfront presentation to announce the premiere date and show more footage.[3]
At Disney's D23 convention in August 2026, a VisionQuest booth displayed a screen framed like a painting which showed a mysterious figure engulfed in flames. The image would glitch to show glimpses of Ultron. Commentators believed the fiery figure could be the character Jim Hammond / Human Torch, an android whose body was used to create Vision in the comics.[73] Also at the convention, Feige, Bettany, and Spader promoted the series during a panel and debuted the first trailer before it was released online.[1] The trailer was described as "trippy" by Kirsten Chuba and Aaron Couch at The Hollywood Reporter,[74] "mind-bending" by James Hibbs for Radio Times,[75] and "as weird, if not weirder, than WandaVision" by Michael McWhertor of Polygon.[76]
