Paul Bettany was immediately sold on the idea of bringing James Spader’s Ultron back for VisionQuest. The upcoming Marvel series reunites the actors 11 years after Avengers: Age of Ultron. It premieres on Disney+ on October 14, 2026.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bettany recalled the moment Matalas pitched Spader’s return. His response was instant. The actor said, “F—! That’s a great idea.” The excitement was followed by an obvious concern. Bettany recalled, “Then the question was, Would he do it?” He did not know whether Spader would be interested in returning as Ultron, but he was already “pretty confident” that the actor would say yes.
Bettany explained that Matalas’ eccentric approach to VisionQuest made the idea feel possible. Spader ultimately returned as Ultron, giving the series an unusual dynamic between Ultron, Vision, and Tommy Maximoff. Bettany said, “Once we had James on board, we had a grandfather, a father, and a son.”
Bettany also described VisionQuest as a story about “intergenerational digital trauma.” The series follows White Vision as he tries to understand himself after receiving the original Vision’s memories. His journey takes him into a strange mental space populated by different artificial intelligences.
Why Ultron remains the most dangerous voice in Vision’s head
Ultron has a complicated connection to Vision and is not just another AI inside his mind. He is the artificial intelligence that helped create him, making his return deeply connected to Vision’s identity crisis.
In VisionQuest, Ultron exists within Vision’s mind alongside other AI personalities. Bettany describes him as a “psychopath” locked away in the attic and compares him to a “psychotic psychotherapist.” It suggests that the character will challenge Vision psychologically rather than being a traditional MCU villain.
The dynamic allows the series to revisit the complicated relationship between creator and creation. Ultron represents Vision’s origins, while Tommy represents the next generation. That helps explain Bettany’s description of them as a “grandfather, a father, and a son.”
With Spader back as Ultron, VisionQuest can explore Vision confronting his past and the AI that created him.
Originally reported on SuperHeroHype.
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