We all love to see a great villain on the big screen, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has certainly attempted to craft many of them throughout the years. Unfortunately, not every one of them has managed to stick the landing, and instead, there are only a handful of outstanding candidates to choose from. Thanos, Vulture, Loki, and Kingpin are some of the best examples of beloved antagonists who fans feared and loved alike. Expectations were that Ultron would make it onto that list prior to the release of the second Avengers movie, yet that failed to be the case.
The live-action adaptation of Marvel's most iconic evil robot was, unfortunately, met with mixed reactions. While James Spader was certainly the perfect actor to portray the role, fans felt his lines were a little too joke-y for the character — attempting a little too hard to capture Tony Stark's essence (but as a bad guy, this time around). But you know what they say: everything deserves a chance at redemption, and it seems that's exactly what the villain will get in an upcoming project... except, with a very unexpected twist.
Ultron will reportedly have a human form in Vision Quest
The supervillain known for being an android is about to get... a human form? According to reliable industry scooper Daniel Richtman, the Vision Quest series will see its titular hero travel to Madripoor in search of "his memories and humanity". However, he'll get a little more than what he was looking for, as he'll cross paths with Ultron, who'll "also" have a human form. This is an interesting tidbit, as it confirms that White Vision himself will be displayed as a human as well.
It's worth pointing out that WandaVision also refrained from portraying Vision as an android during most of its runtime, and it likely comes down to the cost and quality of CGI needed to bring these characters to life. While it made sense to invest in creating realistic renders of Ultron and Vision during the second Avengers movie (which had a staggering budget of $365 million), it may not pay off as well during a Disney Plus series. However, that prompts the question: How could such a bold change make sense storywise?
During the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Earth's Mightiest Heroes assumed they had destroyed every single "copy" of the evil android. So if one happened to survive, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume it went into hiding. And what better way to keep a low profile than by changing your whole look? Especially in a place like Madripoor, which is considered a paradise for a criminal life.
If White Vision is truly trying to recover his memories, then perhaps his reunion with Ultron will actually be premeditated. After all, the supervillain was the one to create the former Avenger. So, Vision's drive to know more about his backstory and true purpose could lead him to meet his creator, which could result in an interesting clash of ideals. Insider Alex Perez stated that Vision Quest will address "the complexities of human life", with Ultron stating why people should be eradicated and Vision developing his own point of view in the meantime.
Interestingly enough, it appears that Vision Quest won't be the last we see of the iconic villain. Daniel Richtman also reported that Marvel has plans for Ultron to appear in "multiple" other projects. Unfortunately, it wasn't specified just where else he might return next, but that won't stop us from speculating. Rumor has it that old Marvel antagonists will appear in Avengers: Secret Wars, with Thanos being one of them. So if both the Mad Titan and Doom are set to steal the spotlight soon, what prevents the murderous android from being added into the equation as well?
With Vision Quest set to be released in 2026, it won't be long before we get more official announcements from Marvel regarding Ultron (perhaps even a first look during a trailer?). With a bit of luck, the series will give the WandaVision storyline a fitting conclusion while delivering an amazing redemption arc for Tony Stark's creation.
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