Summary
Over the course of its two-decade run, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas been known to suffer from one major issue. While fans, for the most part, have enjoyed theMarvel Cinematic Universe, there have been constant complaints about how the franchise handles its villains. One of Marvel Comics' biggest villains, Ultron, was introduced inThe Avengers: Age of Ultron, only to be seemingly killed off.
Now, James Spader is set to reprise his role as Ultron inthe upcomingVisionseries. Not only is Ultron’s return a welcome one, but it’s a much-needed one for a character who deserved more thanAge of Ultron. Especially given his characterization within the comics and his history with Vision.
Age of Ultron Didn’t Do the Villain Justice
Following the massive success ofThe Avengers, Marvel Studios sought to go bigger with its follow-up,The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The film introduced one of Marvel Comics' biggest villains, Ultron, played by legendary actor, James Spader. Along with introducing Ultron in the film, the movie also introducedPaul Bettany’s Visionto the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans were understandably excited to see Ultron brought to life, but unfortunately, the killing-machine they’d come to know from the comics was not well-represented on the screen. He wasn’t the ever-present threat he is in the comics, and ultimately, theAge of Ultronnever truly came to fruition with the story feeling overly rushed. Despite its flaws, the film still proved to be a success for Marvel Studios, but fans always wanted more from Ultron. After all, in the comics,even when he appears to be defeated, he still manages to return. Sadly, like with many other Marvel movies, Ultron was seemingly a one-time villain who was killed off. However, bothUltron and Spader are finally confirmed to returnto the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to Marvel Studios' Vision series.
It’s a welcome bit of news for fans who have eagerly awaited the return of one of Marvel’s best villains. Especially as he has such ties to Vision, who he ultimately helped to create. The question remains, though, as to whether or not the studio can finally do right by Ultron in the forthcoming series. Or will it be yet another wasted use of the beloved villain?
How Vision Can Right the Wrongs of Age of Ultron
One of the biggest things Marvel Studios did to fail Ultron inAge of Ultronwas not giving the character time to truly develop. He was born, tried to wreak havoc, and was defeated in a rather speedy timeframe. He never got to truly shine, outside ofhis final scene with Vision, a moment that is still regarded as one of the best scenes within the film. Which is why it’s exciting that Ultron is finally set to return for the forthcoming Vision series. Interestingly, some rumors have suggested James Spader is set toplay a human version of Ultronwithin the series. Rather than simply doing a voiceover role again, Spader could very well appear in front of the cameras as the menacing character as either an android or a personified version of Ultron. Either way, the series is expected to focus on Ultron’s creation of Vision, something that was only briefly tackled inAge of Ultron. Seeing the relationship between the two further explored in the series will finally give Ultron the character depth he was missing from Age of Ultron. More importantly, though, it continues to leave the door open for him to cause chaos going forward.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t make enough use of Ultron before, and now it has the chance to fix that wrong. Ultron is meant to be a cynical, killing machine. Seeing him in comparison to Vision, watching as the two further expand upon their father and son relationship is sure to please fans who have been waiting years for Ultron’s return. It’s unclear what Marvel Studios has planned for the character beyondVision. However, with Spader on board to return for the Disney+ series, it does open up endless possibilities for the villain many thought Marvel Studios wouldn’t dare to bring back after so many years. It’s doubtful Ultron will ever get the Thanos treatment within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s exciting to know we’ll finally get to see him interact with Vision once again - and potentially the Avengers down the line. As it stands, filming on theVisionseries, which wasonce thought to be titledVision Quest, is set to begin production later this year. The series is being showrun byStar Trek: Picardshowrunner,Terry Matalas, who has proven himself capable of tackling not only beloved characters, but also well-written and thought-provoking storytelling.
As of this writing, there is not a known release date for Marvel Studios’Visionseries on Disney+.
