The MCU’s Ultron Return Needs To Beat His Secret 2019 Avengers Villain Role

Ultron already secretly returned to action in 2019, so his upcoming MCU reprisal in Marvel Television’s Vision series will need to be even better. James Spader originally voiced tyrannical artificial intelligence Ultron in 2015’s eponymous Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Spader hasn’t been heard since. MCU veteran Ross Marquand voiced versions of the robot entity in What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but James Spader has now been confirmed to be returning as Ultron, which is very exciting for the MCU.

Having only made one main appearance in the MCU, Ultron is widely regarded as one of the franchise’s most wasted villains. Despite Spader delivering a fantastic voice performance, Ultron was far removed from his Marvel Comics counterpart, and unused concept art from Avengers: Age of Ultron even showcased a much more terrifying and formidable version of the villain that didn’t make it into the movie. This concept art could have inspired Ultron’s appearance in a secret 2019 project, and could inform his triumphant return in the MCU’s Vision series.

The MCU’s Ultron Return Needs To Look Cooler Than His 2019 Return

As well as voicing the villain in What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ross Marquand also voiced Ultron in 2019’s Avengers: Damage Control, a virtual reality game developed by Marvel Studios and ILMxLAB. Avengers: Damage Control landed the user in an alternate reality across the MCU’s multiverse, where much of the reality’s backstory was the same. When Shuri developed a powerful new suit combining Wakandan and Stark technologies, Ultron resurfaced in hopes of acquiring it for himself.

Avengers: Damage Control’s version of Ultron was epic, a monumental villain that loomed over the Avengers and posed a huge threat. This could have been inspired by the MegaUltron concept art from Avengers: Age of Ultron, and could provide a glimpse into what Ultron’s return may look like in the MCU proper. Though Avengers: Damage Control is set in an alternate reality, it shows just how fantastic Ultron can look in the MCU’s live-action stories, and Marvel Studios could put this to the test in the upcoming Vision series.

Avengers: Damage Control Showed The Challenges Of An Ultron Return

While the design of Ultron and some aspects of the gameplay have been praised, Avengers: Damage Control unfortunately received mostly mixed-to-negative reviews. This had a detrimental impact on the inclusion of Ultron himself, as Damage Control has pretty much fallen under the radar, so many MCU fans won’t have been given the chance to meet this frightening version of the iconic Marvel villain. With rudimentary abilities in the VR world and a lackluster storyline, Avengers: Damage Control simply didn’t do Ultron’s return justice.

Ultron’s own personality also wasn’t developed well enough in Avengers: Damage Control, as the artificial intelligence was relegated to nothing more than a machine on the hunt for new technology. This is vastly different from his mission in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which he wanted to save the world by rendering humanity extinct, providing a complex motivation. Marvel Studios shouldn’t bring Ultron back just to be a lumbering villain in the Vision series, as the character’s intelligence, wit, humor and tactical mind are some of his best and most entertaining qualities.

Why The MCU Is Already Set To Beat Ultron’s 2019 Return

Ultron’s return in Avengers: Damage Control puts a more horrifying version of the villain on display, but his return to the live-action MCU is already primed to be significantly stronger. Theories of Ultron’s return have persisted since 2015, so it’s possible he may have been growing and brewing in the background of the MCU for over a decade by the time the Vision series premieres. James Spader’s return is highly anticipated, and working under the guidance of showrunner Terry Matalas will surely deliver a formidable, relatable and complex iteration of the villain, which will reach far beyond Damage Control.