Even synthezoids can have family drama.
Marvel Television’s VisionQuest shines a spotlight on Vision, the beloved synthetic hero played by Marvel veteran Paul Bettany. The new series (streaming now on Disney+) concludes the acclaimed trilogy that began with 2021’s WandaVision and 2024’s Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest follows Vision as he grapples with his humanity — or lack thereof.
When the story begins, a rebooted Vision is attempting to keep a low profile, working at a pub in Edinburgh. As he attempts to find meaning in his jumbled memories, he consults with the nefarious Ultron (James Spader), who’s still embedded deep within his programming. Together, they attempt to unravel the mystery around Thomas Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica), an 18-year-old boy who may or may not be Vision’s reincarnated son.
“It has been a fantastic journey, going from a voice inside Tony Stark’s suit to becoming an ingenue and omnipotent robot,” Bettany says. “WandaVision was one of the highlights of my career, and I loved doing it, so I was really pleased when VisionQuest came along. This is a new exploration of the Vision character with a totally different energy… a father-son energy. It’s a father-son story disguised as science fiction.”
VisionQuest picks up after the events of WandaVision and Agatha All Along, where Wanda and Vision’s son Billy (Joe Locke) saved the consciousness of his twin brother Tommy with some well-deployed magic. The new series introduces Mollica as the 18-year-old Tommy, who’s fresh out of the foster care system, living in London, and wrestling with flashbacks he can’t explain.
“I was very much involved in his audition,” Bettany remembers of casting Mollica. “I hate being involved in actors’ auditions. I feel like I’m on the wrong side of the table, and I feel like I’m working with the enemy. But I knew it was really important to find the right person.”
Fortunately, he found that person in Mollica. The Scottish actor is best known for appearing in Sebastian and A Thousand Blows, and when he submitted a self-tape for VisionQuest, Bettany and the team knew they had found their Thomas Shepherd.
“The truth is when Ruaridh walks into a room, the room just lights up,” Bettany says. “He’s a very winning person, and the camera loves him. I thought we would be able to make something special happen between us, and I think we did.”
