‘VisionQuest’ homework guide: Everything you need to watch to understand Marvel’s WandaVision follow-up

Marvel Studios’ existential superhero series “VisionQuest” has arrived on Disney+, and we’ve already been treated to four intriguing episodes that delve into the complex life of Vision, Paul Bettany’s intelligent android and former card-carrying member of The Avengers.

The staggered storyline leading up to this show began with 2021’s “WandaVision” and the 2024 follow-up, “Agatha All Along,” with Marvel Studios proclaiming “VisionQuest” to be “the final vision of the groundbreaking trilogy.” So, for those trying to catch up on current events in this trilogy of MCU shows starring Vision, and to avoid any lingering confusion, let’s take a step back to fill in the gaps.

And now, this isn’t as simple as just “watch all the Marvel movies and shows in order,” because that is a frankly ridiculous undertaking and entirely too much homework to do before watching a show. We’re distilling it down to just what you need to know to understand VisionQuest.

Spoiler warning: It should go without saying, but there are spoilers for previous Marvel movies and shows in this article. You have been warned!

TLDR: Marvel shows and movies you need to watch ahead of VisionQuest

We’ll go into some detail on all the connections below, but if you just want a list of the essential Marvel shows and movies to watch before VisionQuest, here it is.

Note that this is just the essentials. There are loads of small references to other movies and shows in the MCU, but they’re just nods.

• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Avengers: Infinity War
• WandaVision
• Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness*
• Agatha All Along

*This one is debatable. It continues Wanda’s story from WandaVision, but it’s not really essential for understanding the events of VisionQuest.

Both are the true vision. Neither is the true Vision

We kick things off with 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” where the mighty Thanos murdered Vision by plucking out his golden, forehead-mounted Mind Stone for his Infinity Gauntlet. From that moment forward, Vision was dead, and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) was cast into unfathomable grief and not-so-repressed anger.

From there, we pick up the story in the 2021 Disney+ series “WandaVision.” Set weeks after “Avengers: Endgame,” this show features two separate versions of Vision.

One was a new synthezoid version, Frankensteined together from the components of the old Vision by S.W.O.R.D., nicknamed White Vision. The other Vision is a supernatural manifestation, brought to life via Wanda Maximoff’s sorcery; he is known as Hex Vision.

So, which of these two Visions appears in “VisionQuest”? That’s the fun (and confusing) part, because the answer is both of them. At the end of “WandaVision,” Hex Vision restores the lost memories of White Vision, essentially merging two entities into one.

So, the Vision we see in “VisionQuest” is the physical body of White Vision, injected with thoughts and remembrances of the model that was magically resurrected by Wanda. Confused yet? Don’t worry, it’s going to get weirder.

Voices inside my head

In addition to the two versions of Vision from “WandaVision,” numerous other AIs exist within Vision’s skull and are all represented by human avatars acting as factions of his ravaged psyche.

Cast your mind all the way back to 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and you’ll remember that Vision was conceived from a combination of the artificial brain of Ultron, the Mind Stone, and fragments of Tony Stark’s AI butler companion, J.A.R.V.I.S., who was named after the real Jarvis seen in the “Agent Carter” TV series.

J.A.R.V.I.S. appears in “VisionQuest” as his own unique entity, alongside another of Tony Stark’s AI helpers, E.D.I.T.H., aka the AI in the smart glasses that Stark left to Peter Parker after his death. She shows up in “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which is a great movie but not an essential viewing if you’re preparing for “VisionQuest.”

Then let’s toss in the fact that papa Ultron (James Spader) is buzzing around in Vision’s cranium, creating what’s been described as more or less an “Age of Ultron” and a “WandaVision” sequel at the same time. As it turns out, Vision did not destroy Ultron at the end of “Age of Ultron”; he copied his code and absorbed him, so now the rabid robot lives on in Vision’s brain.

Like father, like son

The show’s narrative is centered around the complicated relationship between Vision and his son Tommy Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica). Tommy was created by Wanda’s Hex and should have disappeared when it collapsed, but both he and his brother Billy survived through magical shenanigans that are explained in 2024’s “Agatha All Along.”

Those two Maximoff boys, Tommy and Billy, both vanished from existence at the conclusion of “WandaVision.” “Agatha All Along” exposed the truth that their consciousnesses entered the ether before expiring, only to reemerge into the souls of two teenage boys who had just perished, therefore returning them to life. Are you still with us? Good, just checking.

The finale of “Agatha All Along” hinted at the return of the estranged Tommy, and “VisionQuest” dives into that dangling plot point with relish!

Palad-in for a bad time

Every show needs an antagonist, and the voices in Vision’s head can’t do all the work. “VisionQuest” has introduced a duo of villains for Vision to contend with. Neither of them has shown up in the MCU previously, though, so you don’t need to do any research here.

With a massive bounty on his head after breaking free from S.W.O.R.D.’s control, White Vision must contend with a new villainous foe in the form of a mysterious mercenary named Paladin (Todd Stashwick).

This enigmatic Marvel Comics character was created by Jim Shooter and Carmine Infantino and was first seen prowling the pages of “Daredevil #150” back in 1978. He’s basically a gun-for-hire in the Marvel universe, often hired to fight alongside or against various heroes depending on the story. We don’t know much about his motivations in the show, but we’ll learn more as it goes on.

“VisionQuest” also shines a spotlight on the bizarro character of Ultron’s “bride,” Jocasta, though the MCU version of this character diverges wildly from the comic book inspiration.

It’s enough to drive one to madness! Between all the father-son dynamics dancing around the eight scheduled episodes, being hunted down by mercs, and his transcendent search for meaning, Vision and his saga are hopefully headed to a peaceful end.

Created by Terry Matalas (“Star Trek: Picard,” “12 Monkeys”) and airing two new chapters each Tuesday night on Disney+, VisionQuest is bolstered by a cast that includes Ruaridh Mollica, T’Nia Miller, Lauren Morais, Orla Brady, Diane Morgan, Polly Frame, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Emily Hampshire, and James D’Arcy.