James Spader to reprise his role as Ultron for Marvel’s Vision series starring Paul Bettany

Everything old is new again as Marvel Studios announces James Spader’s return to the MCU as the malevolent automaton Ultron for the upcoming Vision series. Marvel’s Vision series is a follow-up to WandaVision, with Spader joining the project as Ultron’s voice. James Spader first played Ultron in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, the sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers.

Also returning for Marvel’s Vision series is MCU alum Paul Bettany, who plays the all-powerful android created in Avengers: Age of Ultron by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Vision falls in love with Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) in the film. As an unbreakable bond blossoms between the two characters, Vision taps into his humanity, educating him about the power of compassion and companionship. Sadly, Vision dies at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Endgame before being resurrected by magic and the power of grief in WandaVision. Rebuilt with an ethereal white coloring, Vision flees his new surroundings in search of answers to his burning questions. Vision’s fate (and Wanda’s, for that matter) are dangling threads in the MCU’s continuity, with no concrete answers as to what became of either character. I’m not counting articles or quotes about what might have happened.

Terry Matalas, the showrunner of Star Trek: Picard, is in charge of Marvel’s Vision series. Bringing James Spader back as Ultron is interesting after Marvel announced Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU at San Diego Comic-Con in July. While Downey’s role changes from Tony Stark to Victor Von Doom, Spader’s role as Ultron’s voice remains the same. Now, fans could question if Marvel is acting on bold, new ideas or if the studio is spinning its wheels by returning to well for what’s worked in the past. Avengers: Age of Ultron received mixed reviews at its release time, though fans have warmed to the super-powered sequel since. There’s no denying that James Spader’s Ultron is the highlight of that film, and the thought of him returning to cause more panic in the MCU is intriguing.

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