VisionQuest’s James Spader Reveals What Ultron Has Been Doing Since Age of Ultron

Ultron did not vanish after his apparent defeat. Marvel instead tucked the rogue artificial intelligence away in a surprisingly strange corner of the MCU, where he spent years watching, learning and, apparently, picking up a hobby that nobody saw coming.

Where has Ultron been all this time before VisionQuest?

VisionQuest’s James Spader, who voices Ultron, explained in a sit-down with Rotten Tomatoes that the villain has effectively served a sentence inside Vision’s mind since their last confrontation. His surroundings resemble a prison, but the setup comes with some unusual perks.

Ultron could access the internet, television, and historical material, giving him plenty to consume while he waited. When the interviewer asked whether Spader was being serious, the Age of Ultron actor said: “Those are all truths.”

The bizarre details do not stop there. Spader said Ultron has also spent his confinement “painting” and “making trouble.” That paints a very different picture of the murderous AI from the one audiences remember, although his relationship with Vision remains anything but peaceful. “He’s in the house,” Spader explained, describing Ultron as someone who “loves/hates” Vision while having little interest in the other artificial intelligences around them.

Paul Bettany added another hilarious detail about Ultron’s new appearance. According to the Vision actor, his former enemy sports an enormous beard, comparing it to “Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s beard” and joking that someone could practically “hide a badger” inside it.

The explanation also clarifies how Ultron survives after Vision appeared to destroy him in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The upcoming series reveals that Vision trapped Ultron’s consciousness rather than eliminating it completely. Now, that captive AI shares space with figures such as J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., DUM-E, and U.

The setup places Ultron directly inside Vision’s journey as the synthezoid searches for his identity following WandaVision. VisionQuest will run for eight episodes on Disney+, with the series scheduled to debut October 14, 2026.