VisionQuest first reactions: critics call Paul Bettany's Marvel series grounded, with James Spader stealing scenes as Ultron

VisionQuest, Marvel's new series starring Paul Bettany as Vision, premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday 14 October, and the first reactions after preview screenings are strongly positive, a social reaction roundup by LaughingPlace shows. MovieWeb calls it the last Marvel project before Avengers: Doomsday, and Bettany has said it completes the story begun in WandaVision and Agatha All Along, Marvel said.

What VisionQuest is about

Vision, in hiding, is forced on the run with Thomas Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica), a boy who may be Vision's son reincarnated, after a bounty is put on Vision's head. James Spader returns as Ultron, and Emily Hampshire plays EDITH, the AI first seen in the Spider-Man films. The showrunner is Terry Matalas. Marvel closed its television panel at New York Comic Con (8 to 11 October) with a surprise screening of the first episode.

What the first reactions say

• Grounded: LaughingPlace's Alex Reif said it is more grounded in reality than expected, and MovieWeb's Molly Freeman pointed to its human heart and WandaVision-level writing.
• Spader's Ultron: several reactions single him out. JoBlo called it a full-circle moment with Bettany "great in a long overdue return" and Spader stealing the show, and Geekcentric's Justin Lawrence named Spader and Hampshire as standouts.
• Best of the year: The Direct's Aeron Eclarinal called it Marvel Studios' best TV show of 2026, and ComicBookMovie's Josh Wilding called it a fitting end to the trilogy.
• The one caveat: Agents of Fandom's TJ Zwarych praised the Bettany and Spader chemistry and the mystery but said it drags in the middle.

These are reactions to the first episodes shown to press and fans, not full reviews, which usually follow closer to release.

How to watch

The show streams on Disney+ from 14 October; Marvel has not said how many episodes there are or whether they arrive weekly. If you are catching up first, WandaVision (2021) and Agatha All Along (2024) are the two series it follows. More from Hollywood and streaming is on our entertainment desk.