What’s next for Vision after the WandaVision finale? His future in the MCU examined
Paul Bettany’s android may return in future movies, but not as we know him.
After weeks of speculation, the exciting cameo Paul Bettany had teased for WandaVision was revealed as none other than… Paul Bettany, with the British actor apparently excited by the “chemistry” he had with himself.
"You know when you think something is going to be funny, and you say it?" he told Good Morning America. "And then you actually panic about it? Because that's what I did.
"Fans started guessing about who it might be, and they were guessing people like Benedict Cumberbatch or Patrick Stewart. And I was thinking, 'My god that's a good idea!' And they're going to be so disappointed when they find out it's me!"
Still, this double-Vision experience – which came about from the original Vision’s “body” being reprogrammed and brought back to life by SWORD, before being sent into Westview to kill the “Hex” version Wanda created – did lead to some interesting twists in the WandaVision finale that hint at the future of the character.
Spoilers for WandaVision episode nine from hereon out.
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In the episode, White Vision and Westview Vision end up clashing in a series of battles, with neither fully able to outmatch the other – however, the newer Hex version eventually ended the battle in a different way, using logic to show his other self that his violence was misguided.
Specifically, he used a metaphysical thought experiment about the ship of Theseus to show his counterpart that his mission to “destroy the Vision” couldn’t be fulfilled, as both and neither of them were The Vision. One had his body, but not his memories or the Mind Stone – one had the Mind Stone but was a facsimile, and couldn’t be considered a real being.
In other words, they were like the ship of Theseus. If it gradually had its planks removed and replaced due to rot, would it eventually become a different ship? And if the old planks were reassembled elsewhere, would they become the old ship again?
“Neither is the true ship. Both are the true ship,” White Vision eventually decided. And, following this, realising that he’d had his memories repressed by SWORD to make him easier to control, he allowed Westview Vision to “awaken” him, returning his memories to him and apparently bringing his mind to something close to the original Vision. Certainly, his eyes transformed into a more recognisable colour (above) shortly before he flew off to parts unknown.
For the rest of the episode we're just dealing with the fake “Westview” Vision, who is eventually destroyed along with the rest of the Hex illusion when Wanda lets the spell go – but in his final moments he takes a look back over his history in the MCU from his days as Tony Stark’s AI JARVIS through to his creation in Age of Ultron and beyond.
“I have been a voice with no body. A body, but not human. And now, a memory made real.
“Who knows what I might be next?”
While this Vision soon dissolves, this question feels pointed, given that some aspect of Vision has now lived on – but where could White Vision go, and is he still the android we know and love?
For now, it’s hard to say. While this Vision has had his memories returned and confirms "I am Vision," in his final moments, it’s unclear whether he’s still the “same” Vision we’ve met in previous Marvel movies. It’s possible that Vision was destroyed along with the Mind Stone, and while this version may be able to fight like Vision and think independently, and even have human emotions, it doesn’t mean he’s just the same guy, woken up a few weeks (from his perspective) after Avengers: Infinity War.
In the Vision Quest storyline of the West Coast Avengers comics (where White Vision comes from) the alternate, paler version of the character had less emotion and considered himself a different being than the Vision who was married to Wanda and fathered her children. With that in mind, it could be that this Vision feels the same way, and has struck out to find exactly who or what he is in the wider world.
As for where we’ll see Vision next, well, it’s slightly unclear. The obvious answer would be that he’ll crop up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness alongside Elizabeth Olsen (who’s already confirmed to co-star in the movie), reuniting with his lover and trying to recreate their relationship in some way.
However, if this Vision considers himself a new man, he may not concern himself with Wanda at all, instead exploring the world (or the wider universe) and appearing in other Marvel films or Disney Plus shows.
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Still, wherever he does turn up, we’re sure he will turn up – because there’s no way Marvel would leave such a dangling plot thread if it wasn’t going anywhere. Unless of course he worked out that he was the true Vision after all, and went and destroyed himself on SWORD's orders. We're still waiting for that WandaVision finale post-credits scene...
Want more WandaVision content? We take a look at how WandaVision sets up Doctor Strange 2, what those creepy WandaVision commercials mean, or check out our guide to the WandaVision cast, where WandaVision is set, the WandaVision release schedule, Agatha Harkness, and the Darkhold.
WandaVision releases new episodes on Disney Plus on Fridays. You can sign up to Disney+ now for £79.90 for a year or £7.99 a month. Check out the best movies on Disney Plus – or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
