Summary
James Spader will resume his role as Ultron in the upcomingWandaVisionspinoff,Vision. However, he could play a new version of the supervillain in the anticipated series.
Spader made hisMCUdebut in the 2015 movieAvengers: Age of Ultron. He was reportedly approached to reprise his role as Ultron in the virtual reality gameAvengers: Damage Control. However, he was unavailable, so the crew had Ross Marquand on board. Marvel Studios is not yet done with Spader’s Ultron because he is joining the upcomingVisionseries, and this time, he will reportedly appear in front of the camera, in contrast to his previous casting, where he just voiced Ultron.
Multiple sources confirmed toDeadlinethat Spader is among the cast members inDisney’s newWandaVisionspinoff series. However, there could be potential changes in his portrayal of the powerful AI. “The role in Vision may not be voiceover,” the outlet added. The report sparked rumors that Spader could portray a “human” version of Ultron. A separate report fromThe Hollywood Reporterseemingly supported the speculations, noting that Ultron could return as an android or be personified. However, the outlet also added that this remained unconfirmed. In the new series, Ultron’s role in creating Vision, who is considered to be his “son,” will be highlighted.
The newVisionseries could include elements from Tom King’s comic bookThe Vision. The comic series explores Vision’s challenges as he seeks a normal life with his wife, Virginia, and their children, Vin and Viv, as artificial beings. Ultron is not a central character in the comics, but he plays a major role in Vision’s existence because he created Vision as a weapon against the Avengers and humanity. Vision deviates from Ultron’s intended purpose for him, as he aims to be a protector, not a destroyer.
Spader’s return to the MCU as Ultronis long overdue. His performance inAvengers: Age of Ultronis well-received. His voice performance gave Ultron the chilling and charismatic personality that made him a compelling villain. He also delivered the lines effectively despite the character’s complexity. MCU gave fans a sneak peek of Ultron in one scene when he crashed a party in the Avengers Tower, looking like a dismantled robot. Thor asked him, “Who sent you?” and he played a recording of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, saying, “I see a suit of armor around the world.” Stark asked Bruce Banner’s help to create Ultron after Wanda Maximoff messed up his mind in the hope of protecting the Earth in case the Avengers disbanded or would not survive. Banner recognized the recording and said, “Ultron,” and the artificial being confirmed it, saying, “In the flesh.”
It will be refreshing to see the supervillain in human form in theVisionseries. Also, there are rumors thatElizabeth Olsen could make an appearance in the show, she could play Virginia, Vision’s wife. Virginia is a synthetic humanoid robot modeled on Scarlet Witch’s brainwaves. If there’s a way to present Vision and the other characters in human form, it will be fun to see Ultron in the same form.
