“VisionQuest” is a delight. Like the previous entries in the unofficial trilogy that began with the series “WandaVision” and continued with “Agatha All Along,” the show delivers things we’ve never seen before in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only that, it reveals new layers to characters we’ve known for years and, in doing so, expands what’s possible in superhero media. Indeed, “VisionQuest” is not just a great sequel to “WandaVision,” it doubles as a satisfying epilogue to the messy yet under-appreciated “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” As /Film’s review puts it, the series tells “a story about grief, parenthood, and the power of connection — all wrapped up in the shiny superhero patina of two archrival robots exploring their all-too-fragile humanity.”
For sure, while the clear highlight of “VisionQuest” is getting to see the dynamic between Paul Bettany’s Vision and James Spader’s Ultron, the show also includes a great ensemble composed of Stark Industries’ AI castoffs, including Orla Brady’s F.R.I.D.A.Y., James D’Arcy’s J.A.R.V.I.S., and Emily Hampshire’s E.D.I.T.H. On top of all that, the series features an intriguing villain in the form of Paladin, a mercenary hired to hunt down Vision and the latest in a long order of mercenaries who’ve taken on the Paladin mantle (itself passed down generation to generation). It’s a cool premise for an antagonist who’s sure to give rise to some major reveals down the road, especially when it comes to Paladin’s mysterious client.
As for Paladin himself, the character is played by Todd Stashwick, an actor who’s been appearing steadily in genre films and TV shows since the late 1990s. Most notably, Stashwick has a longstanding working relationship with “VisionQuest” showrunner Terry Matalas, having appeared in two series that the creative was previously involved with making: “12 Monkeys” and “Star Trek: Picard.”
Todd Stashwick was part of some impressive franchises prior to VisionQuest
Todd Stashwick began acting back in the 1990s with appearances in “Law & Order” and “Spin City.” From there, he quickly proved himself to be a reliable genre actor, appearing in episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its spin-off series “Angel.”
Building on that, Stashwick would later pop up on “Supernatural” as well as “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” He similarly showed up in “Heroes” (a superhero TV series with an incredible first season that quickly drops in quality) and belongs to a small group of actors who’ve been part of both DC and Marvel projects, having played a role on the ludicrously fun Batman prequel show “Gotham” prior to “VisionQuest.” And again, as mentioned earlier, he also had a recurring role on “12 Monkeys,” which Terry Matalas both co-developed and served as a showrunner on.
As for “Picard,” that show actually marked Stashwick’s second time working on a “Star Trek” series. After tackling a small role on “Star Trek: Enterprise,” the actor went on to portray Captain Liam Shaw in “Picard” (which Matalas helped to oversee as well). Shaw himself was partly based on Robert Shaw’s famous “Jaws” character Quint, a crude boat captain who’s fixated on hunting sharks. Now, Stashwick is playing a very different fellow on a mission with a specific obsession on “VisionQuest.”
You can stream episodes of “VisionQuest” on Disney+.
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