VisionQuest review: Paul Bettany and James Spader delight as the MCU’s best new double act in emotionally rich and subversive Marvel TV show on Disney+

by · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

Anchored by electrifying performances from Paul Bettany and James Spader, VisionQuest is a subversive, genre-bending slice of superhero sci-fi. Equal parts tragic, funny, and deeply human, it brings the MCU's Wanda/Vision trilogy to a triumphant close while setting up an exciting future for some of its eclectic cast.

Reasons to buy

  • +A deeply satisfying trilogy capper
  • +Bettany and Spader’s electric dynamic
  • +Emotionally rich themes
  • +Multi-genre storytelling at its finest

Reasons to avoid

  • -Minor mid-season pacing stumbles
  • -Some character arcs lack depth

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Disclaimer

Light spoilers follow for VisionQuest.

No Marvel movie trilogy is perfect. That might sound like a loaded statement, but ask any Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan and they'll concede that even the franchise's gold standards — the original Captain America films, or Guardians of the Galaxy movie series, to name just two — have flaws.

So, it falls to Marvel's TV show department to show its big-screen counterpart how to deliver a truly complete arc. And, with two acclaimed entries — WandaVision and Agatha All Along — under its belt, the Wanda/Vision TV trilogy only needed to stick the landing with a strong, final act to stake its claim as the MCU's best three-part story.

Thankfully, VisionQuest does exactly that, delivering a scintillating slice of superhero science fiction, and a surprisingly deep and emotionally resonant conclusion to the Wanda/Vision Saga.

Latest Videos FromTechRadarWatch full video here:

Paranoid android

VisionQuest reconnects us with Paul Bettany's synthezoid four years after WandaVision's finale (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)

Set some time after WandaVision's finale, VisionQuest reunites us with White Vision (Paul Bettany), the reanimated, blank-slate synthezoid rebuilt by S.W.O.R.D after Thanos destroyed the original. Now laying low in Edinburgh as a bartender named Sherwood, he's grappling with a severe identity crisis, caught between his vacuous programming and the restored memories of his past life.

Searching for purpose, Vision has turned inward and now consults the AI programs embedded in his programming, including Ultron (James Spader), whose leftover code lingers in Vision's system.

Bettany thrives on the material he has to work with

Unfortunately, his peaceful existence is about to be interrupted.

Hunted by Paladin (Todd Stashwick), a mercenary hired by a mysterious client who wants his highly-advanced tech, Vision's quiet life is further upended when he meets Thomas Shepard (Ruaridh Mollica), a thief claiming to be one of Vision and Wanda's twin sons. Forced to go on the run, Vision must evade capture, uncover the truth about Thomas, and resist Ultron's insidious influence.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors