Vision’s MCU Absence Is More Evidence The MCU Needs To Reboot

The MCU is reportedly rebooting after Avengers: Secret Wars and Vision‘s long absence is evidence that this needs to happen. Much like its comic book namesake, Avengers: Secret Wars is poised to establish a new multiverse following a cataclysmic series of incursions that will bring about the death of the MCU – or Earth-616 – as we know it. This will presumably lead to the death of many characters as a new universe is established that will probably shift focus to the MCU’s mutants. There will also be some longstanding MCU characters, however, that will remain.

The last time Vision was seen was in WandaVision in 2021. This was specifically in the WandaVision finale, in which Vision’s reactivated, white-and-blue body was given the memories of the original before claiming to be the real Vision and flying away. This cliffhanger ending suggested that White Vision would return in some capacity. This return is speculated to be in Vision Quest – a solo Vision-centered series. Thankfully, Vision actor Paul Bettany has confirmed Vision’s return.

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White Vision’s MCU Return Will Take 3 Years Minimum (& Likely Much Longer)

Paul Bettany confirmed that he would “100%” be returning as Vision at this year’s MegaCon while responding to a fan’s question on the matter at a panel. This is good news, as it means the character will get a chance to shine after his hamstringing in Avengers: Infinity War and subsequent death. It has already been 3 years since White Vision flew into the distance, however, and it is unlikely that he will return this year if not in Agatha: Darkhold Diaries.

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This means that White Vision’s return will likely be 4 or 5 years in the making. Aside from Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, there are a few MCU projects in which Vision could return, including the aforementioned Vision Quest and even the upcoming Armor Wars movie, given that he is a part of Tony Stark’s legacy. With the SAG-AFTRA strikes likely to have pushed back the release date on the latter, it may be 2025 or later until White Vision reappears in a relevant story, which is an uncharacteristically long time between MCU appearances.

How An MCU Reboot Could Fix Its Long Storyline Issue For Good

The rumored soft reboot for the MCU offers Marvel the perfect opportunity to restructure its narrative. Vision is an example of a character tied to the wider stories of the MCU (like Tony Stark’s creations, for example), but a new structure that doubles down on the MCU’s new “Marvel Spotlight” series would help to remove the need for characters to stand by until the wider narrative progresses. This is something that the current street-level run of MCU shows exemplifies.

While it is likely that Wilson Fisk will play a central role in Spider-Man 4, the cinematic side of the MCU is largely detached from the events of street-level New York. Instead, the stories of Daredevil and the Defenders comprise their own “corner” of the cinematic franchise. This is something that a reboot could more easily facilitate with characters like Vision, essentially weakening the narrative web that connects every MCU character and reducing the space of time between appearances.