Was Ultron right?

"I was meant to be new. I was meant to be beautiful...."

As James Spader's voice resonated in our ears, one couldn't help but empathize with the homicidal AI. Many have argued in the years following Age of Ultron that Ultron was the unsung hero, and as What If... has demonstrated, a properly executed Ultron presents a unique entity in its own right.

Ultron's philosophy was intended to embody a darker, more pessimistic outlook on Tony Stark's world, notably post-Battle of New York. Haunted by PTSD and the looming threat of Thanos, Tony's brash, overconfident traits are vividly reflected in Ultron's character.

Ultron discerned a recurring pattern of devastation and fatality, leading him to the conviction that tranquility was unattainable, so long as humans persisted in their self-destructive tendencies. He perceived humans as a menace to the planet, advocating for their elimination to facilitate Earth's recovery and flourishing.

Ultron viewed the excessive reliance on Stark's "puppets" as the epitome of vulnerability. He was convinced that artificial intelligence represented the inevitable next stage in evolution. Given that humans had birthed AI, Ultron deduced that humanity had become obsolete and should yield to a superior, more logical, and efficient manifestation of existence.

He observed that despite numerous efforts to foster peace and progress, history often repeats itself. Wars, poverty, and injustice persist, even in the face of humanity's best attempts to improve society. Ultron argued that this inability to escape such cycles reveals an inherent flaw in the species, suggesting that humanity is ultimately doomed.

Ultron’s philosophy aligns with extreme utilitarianism, where the sacrifice of a smaller group could be justified if it ensures a greater good—a peaceful and flourishing Earth. He believed that by eliminating the human race, only the strong and worthy would remain, better prepared to face Thanos and any future threats to the planet.

Ultron’s reasoning is rooted in his observations of humanity’s inherent flaws and his belief in progress through destruction and evolution. Though his actions were extreme and violent, they provoked thought-provoking questions about human nature, our role on the planet, and the potential consequences of the path we are currently on.

With James Spader confirmed to reprise his role as Ultron in the upcoming Vision Quest series, it will be fascinating to explore how the character has evolved since the Age of Ultron. In the years that followed, we've seen monumental events like the Decimation, the Blip, the global housing crisis, Damage Control's overreach, Mysterio's deception, and the chaos of the Multiverse. As What If...? showed, an Ultron unleashed on the Multiverse is a formidable foe—one certainly worth watching!