James Spader is set to reprise his role as the AI supervillain Ultron in the upcoming Vision series, Vision Quest. Although variants of the character have appeared multiple times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since his original appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, this will be Spader’s first return to the role since then. The movie ends with Vision appearing to destroy Ultron’s last remaining body, but there have been hints over the years that Ultron has survived somehow and could appear in Vision Quest.
Every setup for Ultron’s return in Marvel’s Vision series so far
Toward the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision locates what is said to be Ultron’s last body, and the two have a poignant conversation about humanity’s future before Vision seemingly destroys Ultron for good. Since then, a variant of Ultron from an alternate universe has appeared in three episodes of the Disney Plus series What If…?: “What If… Thor Were an Only Child?,” “What If… Ultron Won?,” and “What If… the Watcher Broke His Oath?”. In Addition, a squad of Ultron sentries, also from an alternate universe, appears in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In both projects, Ultron was voiced by Ross Marquand.
As of late August 2024, it’s unclear whether Spader will voice the same Ultron from the second Avengers film or a variant. So far, the MCU has given multiple hints that the character could eventually return.
Off-Screen ‘death’
As mentioned above, Vision seemingly destroys Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. But the audience doesn’t see Ultron “die” in that scene. Instead, they see a bright flashing light as Vision uses his energy blast as Ultron jumps toward him. So, it’s possible that what wasn’t shown in that scene can explain how Ultron returns in Vision Quest.
Ultron might still exist in White Vision
It was established in Avengers: Age of Ultron that Vision has a part of Ultron in him, alongside parts of Tony Stark, J.A.R.V.I.S., and Bruce Banner. After Vision’s death at Thanos’ hand, S.W.O.R.D. retrieved his body and eventually reactivated it with chaos magic. By then, Vision’s body had turned white. As White Vision acquired the memories of the original Vision, he might have inherited aspects of Ultron that can manifest in the upcoming series.
Ultron head in Spider-Man: Homecoming
An Ultron head briefly appears as an easter egg in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and that can be regarded as a major hint for Ultron’s eventual return. After all, Peter’s connection to Tony Stark, Ultron’s co-creator, is well-established in the MCU.
Ultron’s variants
Ultron’s variants have already appeared in other MCU projects. So, the Ultron in Vision Quest can be one as well, and not the original, with Spader resuming the voiceover duties.
