James Spader Says Marvel Fans Keep Asking Him if Ultron Will Return in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
James Spader is back as Ultron in Marvel’s VisionQuest, but fans already have another question for him… Will the villain also appear in Avengers: Doomsday? Apparently, Spader can't go anywhere without someone trying to get an answer out of him.
It's been 11 years since Spader first brought the murderous AI to life in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and even after all that time, Marvel fans are still hoping he'll return for another Avengers movie.
During an interview with Swiss outlet OutNow.ch, Spader talked about how frequently people approach him looking for information about upcoming Marvel projects, even ones he knows nothing about.
"I can't tell you the amount of people that come up to you… if you've been in one of the Marvel films. In the interim, people would come up on the street, and they'd say, 'So just tell me… are you going to be in such and such?'
“And they'd mention some film I'd never heard of. And they're still doing it to this day! Doing this press tour for this, 'You can tell [me], does Ultron show up in Doomsday?'"
The funny thing is, Spader admits he hasn't really kept up with the MCU since Age of Ultron. That makes him a pretty unlikely source for Marvel spoilers, but fans keep trying anyway.
As for whether Ultron will actually appear in Avengers: Doomsday, nothing has been confirmed, and there really haven’t even been any rumors of his involvement.
Still, VisionQuest is the final Marvel release before Doomsday, so it easy to see why fans think there's an opportunity for the Disney+ series to connect with the upcoming Avengers movie.
Seriously, though, it’s just having Spader back in the role! Ultron's return in VisionQuest has already earned a positive response, and Spader is one of the best parts of the series.
Part of what makes his comeback interesting is how much the character has changed. Under the direction of VisionQuest creator Terry Matalas, Ultron is exploring a very different side of his personality, something that even caught Spader off guard.
Speaking about his experience returning to the character, Spader explained: "Any of the things that I might have thought about him when I did the film just were so much more of in the show, in VisionQuest.
"I was constantly surprised, even though Terry and I had discussed the whole show, from beginning to end. I still wasn't prepared for the perfect thing that you're always aspiring to as an actor, always, is that it has a life when you start to perform it that you never really imagined."
Considering Ultron originally wanted to wipe out humanity, seeing him take a different path is an interesting direction for the character. Spader's performance was one of the most memorable parts of Age of Ultron, and it's great that Marvel has found another reason to bring him back.
Whether that leads to a confrontation with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday is anyone's guess. For now, Spader isn't giving anything away, assuming he even knows the answer.
The first two episodes of VisionQuest are now streaming on Disney+.
Would you like to see Ultron return in Avengers: Doomsday, or would you rather Marvel end his story arc in VisionQuest?