Marvel is back! We caught up with Paul Bettany, James Spader and the cast of VisionQuest at the BFI London Film Festival premiere in London.
Paul Bettany reveals what MCU fans can expect from Vision's return and we ask whether his children STILL think he's the worst Avenger!
Plus, James Spader returns as the iconic villain Ultron, James D'Arcy explains the rather complicated story behind playing J.A.R.V.I.S., and we chat to Emily Hampshire (E.D.I.T.H.), Ruaridh Mollica (Tommy Maximoff/Thomas Shepherd) and Todd Stashwick (Paladin).
Marvel Television's VisionQuest follows Vision as he searches for his identity, encounters familiar faces from Tony Stark's AI legacy and confronts the return of Ultron.
The series continues the story of WandaVision and Agatha All Along and premieres on Disney+ on 14 October 2026.
#VisionQuest #PaulBettany #JamesSpader #Marvel #LondonFilmFestival Report by Jonesl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Paul Bettany reveals what MCU fans can expect from Vision's return and we ask whether his children STILL think he's the worst Avenger!
Plus, James Spader returns as the iconic villain Ultron, James D'Arcy explains the rather complicated story behind playing J.A.R.V.I.S., and we chat to Emily Hampshire (E.D.I.T.H.), Ruaridh Mollica (Tommy Maximoff/Thomas Shepherd) and Todd Stashwick (Paladin).
Marvel Television's VisionQuest follows Vision as he searches for his identity, encounters familiar faces from Tony Stark's AI legacy and confronts the return of Ultron.
The series continues the story of WandaVision and Agatha All Along and premieres on Disney+ on 14 October 2026.
#VisionQuest #PaulBettany #JamesSpader #Marvel #LondonFilmFestival Report by Jonesl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00An intergenerational trauma, but with fighting.
00:03Well, I thought that I would never work for Marvel ever again,
00:07but it turns out you could never die in the MCU.
00:09Paul is the only person I'll answer the phone to.
00:12Step aside, I want to meet Paul.
00:14You've got your own show.
00:15Hello.
00:15Well done, hello.
00:16Thank you very much. Yes, I have.
00:18Your kids once said that you're the worst Avenger.
00:19Have you managed to change their minds?
00:21No.
00:21No, and I never will, and that's great.
00:25Why do they think that about you?
00:27You'd have to ask them.
00:28One of them is here somewhere, but yeah,
00:32you'd have to get an in-depth interview with them.
00:36I have a sneaking suspicion.
00:38It's just they want to wind me up.
00:40That's what I'm hoping, but there it is.
00:42And what can we expect?
00:43Just give me a little tidbit.
00:45You can expect intergenerational...
00:48Okay.
00:50What you can expect is a story about fathers and sons
00:56grandfathers and intergenerational trauma, but with fighting and lasers.
01:02And a bit of face paint.
01:03A bit of face paint.
01:04Thank you guys.
01:05You're amazing.
01:06Cheers.
01:06You are back, and you're back causing trouble.
01:09How's it feel?
01:10That's my job.
01:12How does it feel to be standing next to this guy as well?
01:14I mean, what a duo you are.
01:15Is he just as wonderful as I think he might be?
01:17Yes.
01:18Very cheeky.
01:19Lovely.
01:19So are you a nightmare in real life?
01:21There he is, pinching him.
01:24Are you a nightmare in real life, or do you behave yourself?
01:28I mean, I try to behave myself, but you know, sometimes life gets the best of you.
01:33Who's the naughtiest?
01:34And sometimes it gets the worst of you.
01:35Yeah, exactly.
01:36Who's the naughtiest?
01:37Who's cheeky?
01:37Are you appalled?
01:39Oh, boy, that's a toss-up.
01:43I mean, I think he's... that's a toss-up.
01:49He... he's kinder and gentler.
01:51What's the best thing about being in Boone Quest?
01:54What's the best thing about it?
01:58I can't pick a single thing.
02:00I mean, I was so fortunate and happy to do the show when I met Terry,
02:05and it just felt like such a fun ride, and then it continued,
02:10and it got funner and funner with every, you know, and now here we are.
02:15I mean, really.
02:16And I saw it, and it all translated to the film.
02:20Hey, Lucy, you're very enthusiastic.
02:21I like it.
02:22Oh, wow! How are you doing?
02:23Good, how are you?
02:23Are you disappointed that you're not at her Spider-Man event?
02:25Because I hear you love Spider-Man.
02:27My son is in a Spider-Man outfit at this very... as we speak, he's in a Spider-Man outfit.
02:31Is he like, Dad? Why are you not Spider-Man?
02:34He's three.
02:35I don't even know how he knows who Spider-Man is.
02:38I've got a one-year-old, and he's wearing Spider-Man shoes.
02:40For goodness sake, what's going on?
02:41He's got Spider-Man slippers, Spider-Man outfit, Spider-Man mask, the whole Spider-Man bit.
02:44He doesn't know about his dad being in the MCU yet, then?
02:47He doesn't, no.
02:48How cool is that, though?
02:49I mean, your family, you're creeping out of the woodwork, now you're back in the world.
02:54It's so cool, right?
02:56And you're essentially Tony Stark's assistant.
03:00Well, yes and no.
03:03Okay.
03:05It's very complicated.
03:07I was Edwin Jarvis, who was Howard Stark's butler.
03:11Right.
03:13And then he had a son called Tony, and then Tony grew up and built his Iron Man outfit,
03:18and he put in an AI which was called Jarvis, based on me, but played by Paul, Bethany.
03:27And then that Jarvis became Vision, and then Vision had some AI in his head of which Jarvis
03:35is one of them.
03:36Got you.
03:37And that's me.
03:37A little tiny bit convoluted, but very cool, no less.
03:39It made perfect sense, I think.
03:41I hope.
03:41And what is the most special thing about being in this show, then?
03:44What is it all about?
03:45Well, I thought that I would never work for Marvel ever again, so that's probably what
03:50it is.
03:50What did you do last time?
03:51Well, nothing.
03:52The show got cancelled, so I thought that was it.
03:54But it turns out you could never die in the MCU.
03:57That is so exciting.
03:58So when you got the phone call, you were like, is this meant for me?
04:00Was it an email?
04:00Was it a phone call?
04:01No, when I got the phone call, I did have to sit down for a minute, yeah.
04:04That's so cool.
04:05And what is Paul Bettany like?
04:06Is he as cool a character as I think he might be?
04:08Yeah, he's great.
04:09Paul's great.
04:10He's perfect.
04:12Ideal for this character.
04:13You know, he's very smart, very intellectual, thinks things through very well.
04:22Obviously, you know, a fabulously handsome man.
04:26And I'm particularly pleased with him because if he had not played Jarvis, I might not have
04:32played Jarvis myself in the television show.
04:34There you go.
04:35I'm very grateful to him.
04:36So cool.
04:37If you were an AI machine and someone had to use you from the set, who would be the most
04:41annoying user from the show?
04:44Ultron.
04:45James Spader.
04:46I mean, he's not annoying in real life.
04:47Don't get me wrong.
04:48He's delightful.
04:50But I think the character he plays is probably quite irritating.
04:53Yeah.
04:53Are you a big fan of the MCU then?
04:55Are you a big Marvel comic book fan?
05:00There are some bits.
05:01I have holes.
05:02Yeah.
05:03A lot of them, the ones I've watched, I'm very big kind of, but there are certain bits
05:07that are a bit too complicated for me at this point.
05:09I think everyone has to have holes in it because there's just too much to consume, right?
05:12I think when they moved to a multiverse, that was when I kind of went, oh, I can't even
05:18handle this reality.
05:19Now you're telling me there's endless realities.
05:21That's tough.
05:22And finally, are you in Doomsday?
05:24I'm not allowed to tell you.
05:25Well, your eyes went scary there.
05:27You're in the MCU.
05:29Does it get normal?
05:30That's pretty cool, right?
05:31Yes.
05:33So what's the best thing about the Envisioned Act?
05:35Honestly, we're working with this cast.
05:38Paul Bettany, the minute I met him, it was like we'd known each other all our lives.
05:42And James Spader blew my mind.
05:45He is the best actor I've ever worked with.
05:47He is just, yeah, this cast.
05:50So where do you start when you get asked to do this kind of thing?
05:52Do you have to start reading comic books?
05:53Do you have to kind of delve back deep?
05:55Do you sit down and watch a load of MCU films?
05:57What happens?
05:57Well, so I was lucky enough to, my entry into this daunting universe was through Terry
06:03Metallis, our showrunner.
06:05We had done a show together called 12 Monkeys many years ago.
06:08And he texted me when he was, he was like, I'm writing Edith and I keep hearing your voice.
06:14And then when I got the part, I realized I need to go to homeschool myself through the whole MCU.
06:21So I did that.
06:23You sat down and watched them?
06:24I watched them all, like in order.
06:26In order?
06:26Yes, yes.
06:27Wow.
06:28Yes.
06:28And especially Spider-Man Far From Home, because that's kind of Edith's origin story.
06:33And then WandaVision, that one really resonated.
06:37Isn't WandaVision just amazing?
06:40I mean, can you, this must be a dream job.
06:43Oh, yeah.
06:44Where'd you go from here?
06:45I know.
06:46That's the issue.
06:47People keep saying the end of the trilogy and I'm like, I just got here.
06:51So, hopefully.
06:53You know that Endgame is the highest grossing film of all time.
06:57This week, new news.
06:59What?
06:59That is the bit, it's massive.
07:01People love this franchise.
07:02They love this world.
07:03You're entering it.
07:04And now it's all downhill.
07:07Are you excited about people seeing Edith?
07:09Oh, I'm so excited about people seeing Edith and all her costumes and I love her so much.
07:15Also, I'm so excited for people to see this show.
07:18It's not all the time that you get, you promote something that you feel this amazing about.
07:23Like, it's so good.
07:25And do you know that I reckon loads of babies will be called Edith after this?
07:28Oh, my gosh.
07:29I would love that.
07:30I did this other show where people, my character's name was Stevie.
07:34And when people would DM me and be like, I named my dog Stevie.
07:38It made me so happy.
07:40Yeah, people seem to name their dog Lucy as well.
07:42That's my name.
07:43Oh, my mother's name is Lucy.
07:44Oh, there you go.
07:45We're in good company, babes.
07:47And just tell me, what's the most special thing about Paul Bettany and Vision?
07:50I mean, about Paul Bettany is just how, like, genuinely funny and just easy to be around.
08:03Like, I feel like he's just so somebody I want to hang out with, like, all the time.
08:08And I never want to hang out with anyone.
08:10You're like, Paul, are you there?
08:12Text me back, please.
08:13Text back, please.
08:14Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:15Do you remember that back in the day?
08:16TV.
08:17Text back.
08:17Text back.
08:18Oh, I don't remember TV.
08:20But I'm definitely somebody who likes, like, alone time.
08:23But Paul is the only person I'll answer the phone to.
08:25Oh, that is so lovely.
08:27And just finally, Doomsday.
08:29Can you talk about it?
08:30I don't know anything about it.
08:31Are you going to be watching it like the rest of us?
08:33Well, yes, yes.
08:34And that's when I'll find out all the secrets.
08:36You need to keep watching it and watching it.
08:38What's going on?
08:38Yeah.
08:39It is a pleasure to meet you.
08:40Thank you very much indeed.
08:41It is hot, isn't it?
08:42You look so beautiful.
08:45There's no normal.
08:46Normal left the building years ago when I chose to be an actor.
08:51I mean, are you, when you signed up for the Marvel, were you worried about, like, opening
08:54your mouth and letting some secrets out?
08:56Because it sounds like it's quite a big LCA.
08:58No, I'm good.
08:59I am good at keeping stuff on the lockdown.
09:02I'm very, very good.
09:03Well, first of all, I'm a fan first, and I don't like spoilers.
09:09I want it to unfurl in the way that the filmmakers, television makers, wanted to unfurl.
09:20So I don't want spoilers, so I don't want to give them.
09:23So you're excited about Doomsday then?
09:25And you can't say if you're in it or not?
09:27I can't say if I'm in it or not.
09:29I cannot.
09:31Yeah, I don't think I am.
09:33It's so exciting though, isn't it?
09:34I mean, the fact that Endgame is the highest-grossing film of all time.
09:38How many years later, too?
09:39It, like, circled back around.
09:40Has it been a decade?
09:42Yeah, and then now it's encore.
09:44It's just so exciting.
09:45What's Kevin like as a guy?
09:47Feige?
09:48What I love about Kevin is he, like myself, is a fan first.
09:54So he wants to take the care and deliver the experience that he himself wants to enjoy.
10:03And I'm the same guy.
10:04Like, I want the joy and delight of experiencing these stories in the best possible way
10:12because I'm a fan of it and I want to see it done there.
10:14It's so incredible.
10:15What is it about Vision, then, that's so special?
10:18Because he says he's the most rubbish Avenger, by the way.
10:20Well, his kids think so, anyway.
10:23What I think about Vision is he's kind of singular.
10:29Like, in many ways, like Cap, like there's one of him.
10:36And he's so special.
10:37And I think what's great about what Paul does is it's this balance of elegance and badassery.
10:46Like, the ability to throw down.
10:48He's a bit of an enigma.
10:49And then he also can break your heart.
10:52So I think he's such a great melange of qualities.
11:00And the look is so cool, whether it's the full-colored one or the white suit.
11:04Like, it's so...
11:06I love cosmic-looking Marvel.
11:08And this is very cool.
11:09He must hate the idea of Halloween and face pain.
11:11He must shiver.
11:13I hope so.
11:13And what's the best thing about being Marvel for you?
11:17Oh, wow.
11:19The kinds of stories that I like to tell.
11:22Like, intimate human stories, but with thrills and you never know where it's going to go.
11:30Like, jaw-dropping fantastical moments balanced with, like, really heartwarming, heartbreaking humanity.
11:40And I think that's what's...
11:41And the costumes are so cool.
11:44Your family must be like, oh my god, you're so cool!
11:46Well, no.
11:47They're so like, oh, what's Stan's job?
11:49You know, they were thrilled because my kids love the character Vision.
11:53And so they're like, step aside, Dad.
11:55I want to meet Paul.
11:57Has that happened yet?
11:58Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:59They got to come to the set.
12:00Oh, that's so amazing.
12:01Do you manage to nick anything from the set for them?
12:03Pardon me?
12:03Do you steal anything from the set for them?
12:05Just memories.
12:06Yeah.
12:08What's scary?
12:09Are you being chased by villains or having vision as your dad?
12:11Uh, vision as my dad, because how can I ever compete with Paul Bettany?
12:15Can you believe Paul Bettany?
12:16Is he in your phone book now?
12:18Yes, of course he is.
12:19I text him.
12:20I text him all the time.
12:21If you like, please just calm down with a text.
12:24Please stop texting me.
12:25I was your dad in a show.
12:26I'm not your real dad.
12:27What is the best thing about being in Vision Quest?
12:29Um, the best thing?
12:30About being in the show?
12:31About being in the show.
12:32I mean, entering the MCU.
12:34And also getting to be a part of a show where they built everything practically.
12:38And we got to explore these like deep themes of humanity and loss and family in a world where there
12:47was like lasers and we were doing crazy stuff.
12:50And can you family and friends believe that you're a superhero now?
12:53No.
12:54No.
12:55I brought my mum's here tonight so hopefully she'll find out.
12:58Oh, that's so sweet.
12:59100% she'll finish watching it and go, Paul Bettany was brilliant.
13:02Oh no, it's your mum!
13:04No, no, she's my champion.
13:05And what about Dean today?
13:06You're allowed to talk about that?
13:07I cannot say anything.
13:09I hope you'll be watching it with the rest of the world.
13:11I can't say anything.
13:11I'll just, I will...
13:13Turn into dust.
13:14Turn into dust.
13:14Exactly.
13:15You're always your sister.
13:15Thank you, teacher.
13:15He will watch on take a few weeks of each other show ataviour.
13:15This episode is like you spoke with me.
13:16So thank you, Mark, because my owner is the main character in this world.
13:16So thank you, Mark.