VisionQuest: A right step in Marvel’s Phase 6 ‘Vision’

Ahead of the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday release, Marvel decided to serve us with an appetiser of the first two episodes of VisionQuest, released on 14 October on the small screen. The eight episode long series is a continuation of fellow small screen productions WandaVision and Agatha All Along, continuing the journey set in motion by Wanda’s spiralling grief over the loss of her lover in Infinity War.

Marvel’s inconsistent quality in projects has been in question by fans and critics alike since the beginning of Phase four, from the widely popular Spider-Man: Brand New Day to box office flops like The Marvels (the lowest-grossing film in MCU history). The first two episodes of VisionQuest may also suffer from some of these old habits, but its bright spots are certainly enough to captivate me to watch on.

There is no telling how this show would be received thus far without the work of Paul Bettany as Vision. Personally, I feel Bettany has already proved his worth in his stellar performance as the synthezoid, but I believe he has stepped up to a new level in this new lead role. His acting is even stronger when paired with the magnificence of James Spader as Ultron. The intriguing, enigmatic synergy between these two is one of the best parts of the series so far, and their future exchanges will definitely be something to keep an eye on.

It has been interesting to see Mollica’s role as Thomas in these two episodes. The show has given him a strong foundation to build on, presenting a young, confused person in the world, with great potential for future episodes to become one of the make-or-breaks for the series as a whole. So far Mollica has shown us some sparks of joy, and with the company of Vision, it will be interesting to see how his character will evolve by the finale.

However, the show still suffers from some common flaws, mainly with the villains in the show. The series attempts to introduce a new threat in the name of Paladin, a ruthless bounty hunter tasked with capturing or eliminating our protagonist. However, he still hasn’t displayed any capability of being able to overpower Vision. VisionQuest writers’ attempts to rectify this have not helped either, relying almost entirely on plot contrivances, a mistake which Marvel projects have been way too familiar with. Furthermore, I believe the actors performing in antagonistic roles, such as Todd Stashwick and Diane Morgan, haven’t been utilised well so far, with their exchanges being some of the weakest parts of the first two episodes. I am quite disappointed that Morgan, who has been one of the great names in television, has been relegated to a role in this series where she can’t display her full potential. Even with the less central antagonists, such as the guard on the bus towards the psychiatric sanitarium; I was taken aback, as the patients were threatened with the possibility of never getting out, which seemed overly cruel and nearly ridiculous.

Despite this, the series has provided enough positives to compel me to finish the series compared to other recent works by Marvel. The plot flows quite well so far, it’s not too slow, unlike many other shows. I enjoyed the return of Marvel’s use of the ‘Mindspace’, creating a vibrantly fake space for Vision, his fellow AIs, and a Victorian mansion, creating the hybrid between modernity and the past that Marvel loves to incorporate. Even if it’s not flawless, VisionQuest has set up an intriguing storyline which could alter the character of Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for good, similar to Loki, one of my favourite Marvel productions post Avengers: Endgame. Will the series continue, or even improve what episodes one and two have displayed, or will it once again prove Marvel’s lack of consistency?

★★★★