Did JARVIS die in VisionQuest? Paul Bettany just dropped a big clue about his Marvel future

*Warning: Spoilers ahead for VisionQuest episodes 1 and 2*

The first two episodes of VisionQuest have already delivered a major death, with JARVIS sacrificing himself to save Vision (Paul Bettany) after a brutal encounter with the mysterious bounty hunter Paladin (Todd Stashwick).

The new Marvel series picks up several years after WandaVision, with White Vision living in Edinburgh under the alias Sherwood Ellis. Although he still has his old memories of the original Vision – including his relationship with Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and time as an Avenger – he has no emotions attached to them. 

He’s also now sharing his mind with various AI personalities, including JARVIS (James D’Arcy), FRIDAY (Orla Brady) and EDITH (Emily Hampshire). And then there’s Vision’s creator Ultron (more on this shortly). 

White Vision’s quiet life comes to an end in the new series when Paladin tracks him down, having been hired by a benefactor known only as “The Client”. The mercenary is armed with adamantium bullets. And if you don’t know why that’s bad, adamantium is a fictional, virtually indestructible metal capable of piercing Vision’s vibranium body.

Things only get worse in episode 2 when Vision attempts to rescue Thomas Shepard (Ruaridh Mollica), who is later revealed to be his reincarnated son Tommy Maximoff.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a trap. Paladin uses an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) cage to neutralise Vision before shooting him with the adamantium ammunition, leaving his systems on the verge of shutting down.

And that’s when JARVIS makes the ultimate sacrifice. But is he actually gone for good? Well, Bettany has offered a rather interesting answer.

Is JARVIS really dead in VisionQuest?

Sadly, yes, JARVIS is dead following the events of VisionQuest episode 2. But Paul Bettany has teased that there could be a way for him to return.

You see, as Vision’s systems begin to fail following Paladin’s attack, the AI personalities inside his mind realise that there isn’t enough power to keep everyone running. One of them needs to sacrifice themselves to free up the processing power necessary to save Vision and the others.

Ultron (James Spader) suggests a noble sacrifice might be in order, and it’s JARVIS who steps forward. He deletes his own code and redirects his resources to the remaining systems.

It’s a particularly emotional moment given JARVIS’s history in the MCU. Originally voiced by Bettany himself, the AI – whose name stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System – served as Tony Stark’s assistant before becoming part of the original Vision’s creation in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The version we meet in VisionQuest is played by James D’Arcy, who previously portrayed Edwin Jarvis in the MCU, the human butler who inspired the AI’s name.

Speaking to The Wrap about the episode 2 death, Bettany reflected on working with D’Arcy again after their time together on Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. “It was so nice to get to work with him again, and then he was gone too soon,” he said.

But Bettany then offered a rather intriguing tease about JARVIS’s future, pointing out that the AI remains part of Vision’s very existence. “The good news is, is Jarvis’s DNA is part of Vision,” he explained. “So there’s always a way back.”

Of course, this isn’t confirmation that JARVIS will return in a future episode. And the show certainly presents his sacrifice as a genuine death. But Bettany’s comments suggest that there could be a way to bring him back if the MCU wishes. 

How is Ultron still alive in VisionQuest?

JARVIS isn’t the only AI with a complicated history in the MCU. As said, VisionQuest also brings back Ultron, despite his apparent death more than a decade ago.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the villain was seemingly destroyed by Vision after the Avengers defeated his army of robots. Their final confrontation took place in a forest, where Vision argued that humanity was worth protecting before apparently eliminating the last remaining Ultron body.

However, VisionQuest reveals that Ultron wasn’t completely destroyed. Instead, a version of the AI has survived inside Vision’s mind – literally rent-free.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Terry Matalas explained why he decided to bring back Ultron and Spader. 

“Like a lightning bolt, the first thing that went into my mind was James Spader,” he said. “I absolutely adore that last scene in Age of Ultron between the two of them and could have watched hours more of them chewing it up. I was like, ‘Well, what if that is the show?’”

Spader told the outlet that the passage of time was an important part of how he came to understand this new version of Ultron. 

Describing his character in Age of Ultron, the actor said, “He was like a bratty teenager eating, filling himself with junk food and consuming as much knowledge and information as he possibly could.” 

But the Ultron in VisionQuest, Spader said, is someone who’s “forced to stop and pay attention and dwell, literally and figuratively. And that tells you all you need to know about where the character’s at. How that manifests is what the show is.”

And while Ultron appears to be helping Vision in the new series, he’s already demonstrated that he can manipulate events outside their shared digital world. Whether he’ll be a threat or not remains to be seen. 

VisionQuest episodes 1 and 2 are streaming on Disney+ right now, while episodes 3 and 4 land on October 20 in the US and October 21 internationally. 

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Featured image credit: Disney+