Vision is a fictional character portrayed by Paul Bettany in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Originally created by Ultron to serve as his body, Vision is a vibranium-based male android (or "Synthezoid") sporting the Mind Stone, and uploaded with the core software of Tony Stark's artificial intelligence, J.A.R.V.I.S..

After defeating Ultron, Vision subsequently joins the Avengers and develops a romantic relationship with his team-member, Wanda Maximoff. Vision is later killed by Thanos after the latter removes the Mind Stone from Vision's head to complete the Infinity Gauntlet in order to initiate the Blip. In her grief, Maximoff creates a false reality in Westview, New Jersey, and recreates a version of Vision and has two children with him, Billy and Tommy. Vision's real body is later recommissioned and reprogrammed by S.W.O.R.D., sporting an all-white look, but later gains his memories back with the help of Maximoff's alternate Vision. Maximoff later deletes the alternate version after returning the town to normalcy.

Bettany has appeared as the character in the films Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and had a starring role in the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021). Alternate versions of the character have appeared in the animated series What If...? (2021–2024), also voiced by Bettany. It has been announced that the character will return in the miniseries VisionQuest (2026) and the film Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Fictional character biography Creation and joining the Avengers

In 2015, J.A.R.V.I.S. is apparently destroyed by Ultron, but it is later revealed that he actually distributed his consciousness throughout the Internet, allowing his security protocols to delay Ultron's attempt to access Earth's nuclear weapon launch codes long enough for Tony Stark to work out what had happened. The Avengers capture a synthetic vibranium body created by Ultron for himself, powered by the Mind Stone, and bring it to Avengers Tower, where Stark and Bruce Banner upload J.A.R.V.I.S. as the core software for the body. After a brief fight with other Avengers, who disagree with this effort, Thor uses Mjolnir's lightning to power its completion, creating the Vision. Thor explains that the gem in his forehead is one of the six Infinity Stones, the most powerful objects in existence. Having gained consciousness, Vision sides with Stark, Banner, Thor, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Pietro Maximoff, and Wanda Maximoff against Ultron as he wishes to protect life. He lifts and hands Mjolnir to Thor; the hammer has been enchanted so that only "worthy" individuals can lift it thus convincing the Avengers that he can be trusted. In Sokovia, Vision fights scores of Ultron's sentries, rescues Wanda from the collapsing city, and destroys Ultron himself.

Sometime after, Vision arrives at the Avengers Compound and joins the Avengers alongside Wanda, Sam Wilson, and James Rhodes, led by Rogers and Natasha Romanoff.

Sokovia Accords and the Avengers Civil War

In 2016, Vision phases into Wanda's bedroom and tells her and Rogers that Stark and Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross have arrived at the Compound. He learns about the Sokovia Accords and agrees with Stark on it, understanding that the United Nations would have control over the Avengers, remarking that the group's existence invites challenge and conflict, which often results in catastrophe. Vision is tasked to watch Wanda, after she is placed on house arrest at the Compound. He attempts to make her feel comfortable by cooking her paprikash and they start to form a romantic relationship. Later, Vision sees Barton trying to break Wanda out on Rogers' behalf, but stops him. Wanda interferes and telekinetically pushes Vision beneath the Compound. Unharmed, Vision flies to Germany to help stop Rogers, Wilson, Barton, Scott Lang, and Bucky Barnes. While tending to Wanda after the fight, he aims to disable Wilson with an energy beam, but accidentally shoots down and cripples Rhodes. Vision flies back to New York and visits Rhodes in the Columbia University Medical Center, before going back to the Compound.

Infinity War and death

In 2018, Vision, now in a romantic relationship with Wanda, visits her in Edinburgh. However, the Mind Stone begins alerting Vision to an unknown threat before they are ambushed by Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight, two of Thanos' children. Vision is badly wounded by Glaive's namesake, which limits his powers. Glaive and Midnight attempt to remove Vision's Mind Stone, but Wanda is able to hold them off until the pair are rescued by Rogers, Wilson, and Romanoff and return to the Compound. Vision volunteers to kill himself in order to destroy the Stone, but the Avengers refuse and bring him to Wakanda, where Vision is examined by Shuri, who attempts to safely remove the Stone without killing him, with Wanda standing vigil over the operation. When Midnight, Cull Obsidian, and the Outriders attack Wakanda, Wanda intervenes in the battle, leaving Shuri defenseless to Glaive, who infiltrated the center. Vision fights Glaive, and is nearly defeated before being rescued by Rogers. Vision in turn saves Rogers, killing Glaive with his own weapon. Thanos arrives, and as the Avengers attempt to hold him off, Vision manages to convince Wanda to destroy the Mind Stone, which she does, at the cost of his life. However, Thanos uses the Time Stone to reverse the action, allowing him to rip the Mind Stone out of Vision's head.

Wanda's Hex and resurrection

By 2023, Vision's body is taken into S.W.O.R.D.'s custody and experimented on at their headquarters in Florida, who hope to get him back online. Maximoff travels to Westview, New Jersey, where a plot of land had been purchased by Vision for them. In her grief, she turns Westview into an alternate reality to her liking, later being dubbed the "Hex", also creating a Hex Vision. Within the Hex, she and Hex Vision are married, live in a suburban neighborhood, and he works for Computational Services Inc.

After Wanda becomes pregnant with twins, Hex Vision momentarily grows suspicious of their surroundings. Nonetheless, Hex Vision joins the neighborhood watch and Wanda gives birth to Billy and Tommy. When the twins grow up rapidly, he continues to question his and Wanda's life in Westview and uses his powers to learn that one of his co-workers is under mind control. He investigates further, and on the edge of town he finds residents frozen in place, including his neighbor Agnes. He discovers a hexagonal barrier and tries to leave, but begins to disintegrate before he can reach the nearby S.W.O.R.D. outpost while telling the S.W.O.R.D. agents and Darcy Lewis that the people inside need help. Wanda expands the Hex, restoring Vision. After waking up, he finds Lewis in Westview and awakens her from her trance. While heading home with her to confront Wanda, Lewis tells him about his life.

Vision's body is brought to a S.W.O.R.D. base outside Westview where S.W.O.R.D. director Tyler Hayward uses remnants of Maximoff's magic on a drone to reactivate him, now with a white body and his memories erased. Vision is programmed to get rid of Maximoff and is deployed into the Hex. He approaches Maximoff, who asks if it is really him. He pretends to caress her, but attacks her, until Hex Vision arrives and engages in a fight with him, while Maximoff fights Agatha Harkness. Vision and Hex Vision continue their fight inside the Westview library, where they discuss the paradox of the Ship of Theseus and Vision permits Hex Vision to restore Vision's memories. He realizes that he is an Avenger and flies away to process this information.

Hex Vision witnesses Maximoff's fight with Harkness in the sky. Afterwards, he learns that he is a memory of Wanda that was created through her powers and the Mind Stone, and says his final goodbyes before he fades from existence when the Hex is removed.

Alternate versions

Several alternate universe versions of Vision appear in the animated series What If...?, with Bettany reprising his role while Ross Marquand voices a version of Ultron in Vision's body.

Zombie outbreak

In an alternate 2018, a quantum virus is unleashed and infects several humans, turning them into zombies. The unaffected Vision keeps the zombified Wanda contained at Camp Lehigh, where he experiments with the Mind Stone to find a cure and manages to cure Scott Lang and preserve his severed head in a jar. However, Vision is unable to cure Wanda, leading him to lure in individuals, such as T'Challa, and feed them to her. Eventually, after the surviving Avengers and their allies arrive at the base, Vision hands over the Mind Stone to Bruce Banner, killing himself in the process.

Mysterio's Enforcer

In an alternate future, where the Emergence destroyed Earth years before the Eternals could stop it, Vision (in his "White Vision" form) became the mindless and emotionless lieutenant of Quentin Beck's Iron Federation, helping him impose his rule over what is left from Earth. He is sent to wipe out the Alliance, until he is disabled by Riri Williams, who then uses his remains to convert herself into a human/synthezoid hybrid.

Other versions In an alternate 2015, Ultron successfully transfers his consciousness into Vision's body, kills most of the Avengers and gains control of the Infinity Stones and destroys all of life in the universe. He becomes aware of the Watcher and the Multiverse and attempts to destroy them all. With the help of the Guardians of the Multiverse, the Watcher manage to stop and destroy him. Another variant of this Ultron who did not gain awareness of the Multiverse later assists Captain Peggy Carter in saving the Watcher from the Eminence. In an alternate universe, Vision was captured by Doctor Strange Supreme and taken to his makeshift dimension. He was freed by Carter and began fighting against Carol Danvers.

Conception and characterization A character named The Vision debuted in a short comic story in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 (Nov. 1940) as an alien law enforcement officer also known as Aarkus, continuing as a regular feature in that superhero anthology through issue #48 (Oct. 1943). In the late 1960s, editor Stan Lee and writer Roy Thomas decided to add a new team member to the superhero-team series The Avengers. Thomas wanted to bring back the Golden Age alien Vision but Lee was set on introducing an android member. Thomas ultimately compromised by using a new, android Vision. The second Vision first appeared in The Avengers #57 (Oct. 1968). Thomas wanted the character to be white as befitting his ghostly name, but printing limitations of the time would have rendered him colorless, with un-inked paper where his skin should be. He settled on red as he did not want Vision to be green like the Hulk or blue like the Atlanteans. The character has been compared with Spock from Star Trek, but Thomas said that he was barely aware of the TV series at the time. He acknowledged being influenced by the Adam Link character by Otto Binder, one of the first robots treated as a sympathetic character rather than as a mechanical tool.

In The Avengers #75 (April 1970), the Scarlet Witch is reintroduced to the team and soon becomes a love interest for the Vision. Thomas recounted, "I felt that a romance of some sort would help the character development in The Avengers, and the Vision was a prime candidate because he appeared only in that mag... as did Wanda, for that matter. So they became a pair, for just such practical considerations. It would also, I felt, add to the development I was doing on the Vision's attempting to become 'human'."

Characterization