Warning: This article contains spoilers for “VisionQuest” Episodes 5 and 6.
Almost 20 years in, has Marvel Studios finally perfected the art of the shared universe with its “VisionQuest” series? That might seem like a silly thing to ask, considering the franchise’s first (and arguably greatest) accomplishment came as early as 2012 with “The Avengers.” That, of course, proved beyond a doubt that a string of standalone solo movies could effectively build the foundation for blockbuster-event crossovers. Still, it’s been somewhat of a different story on streaming, where the track record for Disney+ shows remains awfully spotty. Recent hits like “Agatha All Along” and the since-canceled “Wonder Man” managed to buck that trend, but how often have these series actually influenced and enhanced the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movies rather than the other way around?
“VisionQuest” may have done just that by turning itself into a long-awaited sequel to “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Episode 5, titled “Firewall,” begins chaotically enough with Ultron (James Spader) having locked out Paul Bettany’s Vision from his own core systems and absconding with the synthezoid’s estranged son Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica). When Vision and his team of fellow AIs track them down to a local pub, the episode quickly turns into something more exciting. After making it clear that he means Tommy no harm, Ultron magnanimously offers to tell Tommy anything about himself that he wishes to know. At the top of the list is an explanation of his actions in Sokovia, the innocents he killed (Ultron casually puts the estimate far above Tommy’s figure of 177), and the billions more he would’ve massacred if he’d gotten his way.
In so doing, “VisionQuest” retroactively addresses one of the biggest complaints about “Age of Ultron” — namely, Ultron’s rather rushed motivations — and makes the film even better.
VisionQuest further reveals Ultron’s motivations in Avengers: Age of Ultron
Remember all those memes about Ultron needing only 10 seconds on the internet in order to decide that humanity collectively needed to be wiped out? As funny as they were, those jokes also pointed to one of the more obvious shortcomings in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” For an ambitious sequel that already had so much going on, there wasn’t exactly much screen time devoted to the “why” behind Ultron’s murderous intent. Sure, James Spader made an absolute meal out of his speeches about puppets on strings and evolution and “peace in our time.” But, when it comes down to it, could audiences really grasp the underlying reason(s) why Ultron became so bad in the first place?
Fortunately, “VisionQuest” is now filling in some of those gaps. When Tommy confronts Ultron over his monstrous, genocidal intentions, the unapologetic bad guy happily obliges. “I find the human race to be an incurable disease that doesn’t even have the kindness to kill you,” he cynically responds. This certainly lines up with Ultron’s behavior in “Age of Ultron” (he even calls his creator Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) a “sickness” at one point), but he goes even further justifying what he attempted to do all those years ago. Calling it a “courtesy,” Ultron shifts the blame towards the humans who’ve already set themselves on a path to destruction.
However, the twist comes when Tommy questions whether Ultron would still pursue the same goal if he had the means and opportunity. In a moment that continues to hint at his growth and perhaps even redemption, Ultron allows the possibility that he might choose differently this time. Granted, only sparing artists while condemning everyone else isn’t ideal … but, hey, it’s progress!
VisionQuest continues to make Ultron the most interesting villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
What makes “VisionQuest” feel like such a miracle in the MCU stems from how it manages to service so many different aspects of the franchise while still remaining its own unique entity. While the spotlight is firmly fixed on “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Secret Wars,” here comes this unassuming streaming show that simultaneously works as an “Age of Ultron” sequel, a capper on the trilogy begun by “WandaVision” and “Agatha All Along,” and a spiritual successor to the boundary-pushing risks taken by “Loki.”
Nowhere does it accomplish all of these goals more than in its depiction of Ultron. Yes, he’s clearly up to no good from the start of the premiere. It’s hardly a surprise when he takes his one moment of freedom in Episode 4 and uses it to stab Vision and his AI friends in the back. But, then again, it’s not treated like one. Everyone from Edith (Emily Hampshire) to Friday (Orla Brady) to James D’Arcy’s dearly-departed Jarvis warn Vision that keeping Ultron around couldn’t possibly lead to anything good. Yet, the fact that Vision does so anyway hints at the possibility that Ultron isn’t the same “person” he was a decade ago. He’s not nearly as petulant and erratic and consumed by insecurity as he used to be — in fact, he’s since become more introspective and appreciative of human art than ever before.
Of course, Ultron’s escape into the digital world, his dalliance with the villainous Jocasta (T’Nia Miller), and Episode 6’s dramatic reveal that the two intend to infect humanity with nanobots to “cure” them suggest Ultron’s still a work in progress … but that only makes him all the more fascinating.
New episodes of “VisionQuest” stream on Disney+ every Tuesday.
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