Ultron, the iconic villain from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is making a return, as actor James Spader is confirmed to reprise his role in the upcoming untitled Vision series on Disney+. Spader previously portrayed Ultron in the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron. The movie ended with Vision seemingly destroying Ultron, but fans have speculated about the character’s potential return, given the ambiguity of Vision’s final act.
Spader’s return as Ultron nearly a decade later has sparked excitement among fans. It has been reported that he will be voicing Ultron in the Vision series, rather than providing motion capture as he did in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The series will be helmed by Terry Matalas, known for his work on Star Trek: Picard, and will follow the story of the White Vision introduced in WandaVision as he embarks on a journey to discover his purpose. This series will mark the third installment in a trilogy of interconnected stories that began with WandaVision and will continue with Agatha All Along.
In the Marvel comics universe, Ultron was first introduced in July 1968 in The Avengers #54. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, Ultron was originally depicted as being invented by the character Hank Pym, also known as Ant-Man. However, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Ultron’s origin was reimagined, with Tony Stark being portrayed as his creator. In the movie “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Tony Stark created a body for himself known as the Vision, but the Avengers intervened and ended up uploading JARVIS into the body, thus creating the superhero Vision.
Despite Ultron’s defeat, the impact of his actions reverberated through the MCU for years. The destruction of Sokovia, orchestrated by Ultron, led to the creation of the Sokovia Accords, which ultimately caused a rift within the Avengers team, culminating in the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” This division among the Avengers persisted during their battle against Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War.”
Furthermore, Vision’s connection to both his own origin story and his relationship with the Scarlet Witch has played a significant role in shaping the overarching narrative of the MCU.
Many fans are eagerly anticipating James Spader’s return as Ultron, a significant event for Marvel enthusiasts. While alternate reality versions of Ultron voiced by Ross Marquand have appeared in the animated series “What If…?” and the 2022 film “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Spader’s comeback has generated considerable excitement. Some fans had assumed that Spader, like Hugo Weaving, had been replaced due to dissatisfaction, but his return has proven otherwise.
Regarding Spader’s role in the series, there are numerous intriguing possibilities. One theory suggests that Vision never actually destroyed Ultron but instead preserved his head, which could allow for the use of a puppet model without the advanced facial movements of the CGI Ultron. This could explain why Spader is only providing the character’s voice. Since Ultron’s programming is part of Vision, it’s also conceivable that Vision may be tormented by the voice of his creator. Given Ultron’s status as one of Marvel’s greatest villains, the prospect of his return in some form has fans buzzing with excitement.
