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Marvel gave fans a first look at James Spader as Ultron in the upcoming Disney+ series VisionQuest, as well as a few other tidbits in a special teaser for the show spotted on the Anaheim Convention Center floor at D23.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed a TV screen framed like a painting among Marvel’s various exhibits at the event, which IGN’s on-site reporters confirmed. The artwork shows what appears to be Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, engulfed in flames.
However, the screen glitches in and out, showing glimpses of Ultron as we remember him from 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and his actor, James Spader.
This has already sparked a debate among fans, with many under the impression that we’ll be seeing a “human” side to the character in the highly-anticipated conclusion of the WandaVision trilogy. Or, even more intriguing, there’s a possibility we could see him take on a human form, rather than the robotic version we’ve become accustomed to over the years.
An image of White Vision, portrayed by Paul Bettany, also flashes onto the screen, who holds up an edition of a Vision Today newspaper. While it’s difficult to make out, the headline discusses “weather warnings… for the third time this year,” as well as what seems to be a secondary headline for a news story about a “jewel thief” continuing a string of supposed crimes.
The Human Torch we see in the painting was first spotted in the MCU as an easter egg in Captain America: The First Avenger. Nicknamed ‘Synthetic Man’ in the film, Jim Hammond was part of the original Avengers alongside Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Namor.
Ultron was seemingly destroyed by Vision in Age of Ultron, but VisionQuest creator Terry Matalas confirmed the villain would make a comeback for the highly-anticipated TV series.
“We’ve been shooting a Marvel show based on the character of Vision, played by Paul Bettany, one of the great Avengers… It’s very much a show about the Marvel AIs. So we have Paul Bettany, and James Spader is returning as Ultron in a really amazing, unique way,” Matalas said during a panel at STLV: Trek To Vegas in early August.
Matalas spoke at length about what fans can expect from the show at New York Comic Con in October 2025, describing the series as “a delivery system for Bettany and Spader.”
“You do get to see robot Ultron, but you see a lot of James Spader and a lot of Paul Bettany together. They are very much a core dynamic of the show,” he explained. “It’s about a man going through an identity crisis.”
VisionQuest is scheduled to release on October 14, 2026. For more information about Marvel’s upcoming slate of content, including what’s next for Marvel’s X-Men movie, keep it locked to IGN, or take a look at some of our interviews with the cast of Avengers: Doomsday from San Diego Comic Con this year.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
