There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise staged a huge comeback at the box office last year with Deadpool and Wolverine and has since scored Disney Plus success stories with Agatha All Along and Daredevil: Born Again. Now, it has enjoyed more critical acclaim with Thunderbolts*, which had such a positive response that it ended up defying expectations at the box office. This is the type of momentum that Marvel Studios needs to continue building as we head into Avengers: Doomsday next year.
Speaking of 2026, next year will also feature Spider-Man: Brand New Day's release in movie theaters, as well as the second season of Daredevil: Born Again and The Punisher Special Presentation. Animated shows Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and X-Men '97 will also return for second seasons, while Vision Quest will premiere too, carrying on the story of the WandaVision saga.
One of those titles will now feature an unexpected appearance - and recast - from a Spider-Man character... and it's not Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Vision Quest reportedly recasts Spider-Man: Far From Home's E.D.I.T.H.
According to Marvel insider Daniel Richtman, Emily Hampshire has been cast as the human version of E.D.I.T.H. in upcoming MCU series Vision Quest. You might remember that E.D.I.T.H. was the AI created by Tony Stark and gifted to Peter Parker via those advanced glasses in Spider-Man: Far From Home. She ultimately became an important part of the plot as Mysterio sought the glasses to advance his own villainous illusions, resulting in Spider-Man stepping up and claiming the glasses for himself by taking the threat down.
E.D.I.T.H. was voiced by Dawn Michelle King in Spider-Man: Far From Home but King isn't actually an on-screen performer (she is actually a first assistant editor, who has worked on multiple MCU movies such as Iron Man, Thor: The Dark World, Ant-Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming and more). Therefore, it's understandable that Hampshire is stepping in to play the role in live-action. And she won't be the only actor to bring an MCU AI to life.
Since the confirmation that Vision Quest was happening, various reports have revealed that a number of Marvel actors will be reprising their roles in the show as human versions of their respective MCU characters. James Spader is returning to play a human version of Ultron while Kerry Condon is expected to bring the human iteration of Tony Stark's final AI creation F.R.I.D.A.Y. to the screen, reprising the role she voiced throughout the 2010 MCU movies (and most recently in 2019's Avengers: Endgame). As star Paul Bettany will be playing the title character, he won't be bringing the human version of Tony's original AI J.A.R.V.I.S. to life, as reports state that James D'Arcy, who played Mr. Jarvis in both Agent Carter and Avengers: Endgame, will reportedly play the role instead.
Vision Quest stars Paul Bettany, who reprises his role as the iconic vibranium synthezoid Vision, who he has been playing since 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. The character seemingly died in Avengers: Infinity War but he was most recently seen in WandaVision, where Bettany played two versions of the character. One was a magical recreation formed by Wanda Maximoff in her grief of losing him (which fuelled her transformation into the Scarlet Witch) and the other is the White Vison - the real Vison brought back to life with Wanda's magic.
White Vision had his memories restored by the Westview Vision before flying off into the sky so that he would no longer be used as a weapon. Bettany is expected to play this version of the character in the upcoming Disney Plus series, which will serve as the third installment in the WandaVision trilogy after the original series and first spinoff Agatha All Along.
It's going to be interesting to see what kind of role all of the AI characters play, particularly the recast E.D.I.T.H. and how it all factors into Vision ultimately returning to the hero that he once was. Perhaps the more important question: Will getting him back to where he needs to be eventually lead to a reunion between him, Wanda and their sons Tommy and Billy Maximoff? Here's hoping!
Vision Quest premieres on Disney Plus in 2026.