Ultron takes the wheel late in Episode 4 of VisionQuest, and James Spader’s version of the character turns that shift into the series’ sharpest power play. The move arrives after White Vision has spent Episodes 3 and 4 moving closer to a real sense of self, even as the threat inside the story gets more active.
Episodes 3 and 4 are streaming now on Disney+, which gives the takeover an immediate payoff for viewers catching up in order. White Vision, played by Paul Bettany, says, "I have all the memories of the original Vision but none of his soul."
Paul Bettany and the processor glitch
In Episode 3, White Vision’s malfunctioning processors give Bettany physical comedy material, a small but useful release valve before the story pivots harder into control and identity. He also makes clear that Vision is not just processing memory; he is trying to sort out what counts as a self when the machinery keeps shorting out.
That thread keeps building in Episodes 3 and 4 as Vision and Tommy deepen their bond, with the hotel swimming pool scene giving the relationship its most practical turn. Vision tells Tommy how to reboot him there, which is less a trivia beat than a sign that he is starting to trust another person with the maintenance of his own existence.
Tommy and Vision's bond
By Episode 4, Vision stops drawing such a hard line between his past and present selves. That change matters because it moves him from a purely defensive position into something more open-ended, and it gives Ultron more room to exploit the moment when control starts to slip.
The review also notes that the writers do a fine job of not making Agatha All Along required viewing, which keeps the focus on the new material instead of turning the episode into homework. That restraint helps the show move fast, and it keeps the character work legible even as the plot starts to bend toward a bigger threat.
James Spader as Ultron
James Spader’s Ultron remains one of the absolute highlights of the series because he does two things at once: he provides periodic comedic relief and he keeps making knowing observations on human nature. That mix makes the betrayal land harder, because the character is funny right up until he is not.
Late in Episode 4, Ultron manipulates his way into taking the wheel and betrays his family at the first opportunity. The contradiction is the point: the series lets him function as a source of humor while also moving him into physical-world control, which raises the stakes heading into Episode 5.
The most useful read on the episode is simple: White Vision is still becoming more human, Tommy is helping him get there, and Ultron is already using that progress against them. A fully in-control Ultron back in the physical world is the part to watch next, because the character has moved from commentary to command.
