I’ve made no secret of my declining interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There was a time when I wouldn’t dare miss a Marvel TV or movie release, but the days when it was a cool novelty to see Marvel’s biggest stars appearing in original shows on Disney+ are long gone.

Things are quite different for Marvel Television these days; Disney+ puts out far fewer Marvel titles, and the ones that are released are given a short runway — for proof, look no further than the renewed-then-cancelled “Wonder Man,” which I highly enjoyed. I approached “VisionQuest” with optimism mostly because of my love for the show’s cast, and found there was much more to it than I was expecting, even if it doesn’t achieve everything it’s trying to accomplish.

“VisionQuest” takes place years after the events of “WandaVision.” Reassembled and sent into hiding, Vision is struggling with difficult questions about his identity and his place in the world. Forced on the run by a ruthless mercenary, Vision’s path converges with a young man who has the memories of his son, a young man named Tommy who never really existed.

If that synopsis is a little confusing, the details are even more so. One of the problems I saw cited most consistently when reading reviews for “VisionQuest” was that, like all other Marvel shows, it has become bogged down under the weight of the universe’s mythology. To really know what’s going on in “VisionQuest,” viewers have to have watched “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “WandaVision” at minimum, and that’s before entering the debate of whether “Agatha All Along” is really a key part of the story.

“VisionQuest” tries to account for this with a few hasty expositional scenes, but these are honestly most helpful to someone like me, who has seen the preceding titles but not for a few years. The show’s place in the wider Marvel universe is the least interesting thing about it, but it has plenty of virtues once it shifts the focus away from the lore.

The larger philosophical ideas that “VisionQuest” reaches for at times in its first two episodes are actually pretty interesting. It’s fascinating to watch the writers guide Vision through the visual metaphor of a home as he bounces between the various AI that make up key parts of his programming in order to share his struggles in understanding the essence of humanity.

This version of the former Avenger is no superhero, either. Self-preservation is a powerful instinct in this incarnation of the Vision, and he’s not shy about using lethal force to protect himself from becoming a living weapon for others. It offers room for nuanced discussions about what humanity and heroics really mean, and the show makes a credible attempt to treat those topics with thoughtfulness.

The cast of “VisionQuest” was admittedly the biggest attraction for me going into its premiere, and I was not disappointed on that score. Paul Bettany has been a favorite of mine for years, and he brings out the anguish of Vision’s futile attempts to access the essence of his predecessor so well in the series. And James Spader is superb as Ultron, revealing nothing of his true intentions as he hides guile and genocidal intent behind a flowing beard.

“VisionQuest” isn’t the perfect TV show, or perhaps even the perfect Marvel series. But it is trying to be more than just a cut-and-paste superhero TV series, and it’s earned my attention for more than just the fantastic performances it offers. Fans can stream new episodes of “VisionQuest” on Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9:01 p.m. ET.

VisionQuest

October 13, 2026

With a bounty on his head, Vision must confront his nature and resist Ultron’s influence to survive.