Reflective Vision

I'm having trouble thinking of VisionQuest as part of the MCU. It just feels so small and cheap. The penultimate episode was released this week and, aside from an emotional performance from Paul Bettany, there wasn't much spectacular about it.

When Vision's team realises they're going to need to break into something illegal involving the government, someone says there's only one person they know whom they can go to for help. And I thought, oh, wow, they're going to call Ant-Man. But no, they call the Paladin, of course, because he's already on the cast list for the series. When Vision encounters the original Marvel AI, Jim, once known as the Human Torch, what does he look like? Why, Paul Bettany of course. His creator--who does he look like? PAUL BETTANY OF COURSE. And finally, the big reveal, at the end of the episode, who was the Paladin's mystery client? None other than James Spader, the same actor who plays Ultron, but with a handlebar moustache, 'cause he's a different guy. They just couldn't cast any more actors this late in the game.

Along with the fact that Vision, even when he's malfunctioning and at the point of death, always has his normal human illusion up, so Paul Bettany doesn't have to wear the makeup--and most of the story is set in London, uncoincidentally Paul Bettany's hometown, it feels very cheap and small. I guess they had to make a lot of concessions just to get Bettany to do this.

I don't want Ultron to be based on a real human. I don't want Vision to be based on Jim or his creator. I want an MCU filled with various characters of various origins. That's part of the fun of the comics, seeing how all these different people play off each other or how their powers overlap. I'm tired of these cul-de-sac teleplays.

VisionQuest is available on Disney+.