Summary
- Ultron was mishandled in Age of Ultron, lacking character development and a meaningful presence.
- Fans are excited for Ultron's return in the Vision series, hoping for better treatment and exploration of his relationship with Vision.
- James Spader potentially appearing as a physical form of Ultron offers depth to the character and opens up future storylines.
Over the course of its two-decade run, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been known to suffer from one major issue. While fans, for the most part, have enjoyed the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there have been constant complaints about how the franchise handles its villains. One of Marvel Comics' biggest villains, Ultron, was introduced in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, only to be seemingly killed off.
Now, James Spader is set to reprise his role as Ultron in the upcoming Vision series. Not only is Ultron's return a welcome one, but it's a much-needed one for a character who deserved more than Age of Ultron. Especially given his characterization within the comics and his history with Vision.
Ultron Explained: How Did The MCU Change Him From The Comics?
He's one of Marvel's most infamous villains, but there's a few key ways that his MCU incarnation deviates from the source material.
Age of Ultron Didn't Do the Villain Justice
Following the massive success of The 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 introduced Paul Bettany's Vision to 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, the Age of Ultron never 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, both Ultron and Spader are finally confirmed to return to 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 in Age of Ultron was 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 of his 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 to play a human version of Ultron within 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 in Age 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 beyond Vision. 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 the Vision series, which was once thought to be titled Vision Quest, is set to begin production later this year. The series is being showrun by Star Trek: Picard showrunner, 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' Vision series on Disney+.