Paul Bettany’s Vision was one of the best things about WandaVision. It’s worth remembering that the actor was present from the very start of the MCU, though, as he voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in 2008’s Iron Man. Over the years, the studio gradually expanded his parts, but featuring in the Avengers movies and Civil War meant that he was always a member of an ensemble cast. However, WandaVision gave him space to shine, with his more-human-than-human synthezoid providing many memorable (and tearjerking) moments.
In a sad but not unexpected twist, the Vision we saw throughout the show turned out to be a magical construct created by Wanda that could only exist within the Hex. As such, when she broke the spell, he (and her children) disappeared. But this isn’t the end, as the ‘real’ Vision’s body was successfully reanimated by S.W.O.R.D. in spectral white, had been mind-wiped and was repurposed as a weapon.
During their knockdown fight, the two Visions ended up debating philosophy, concluding with White Vision’s memories being unlocked and him promptly jetting off into the sky. But what happened to him after that? Well, we don’t yet know and WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer said in a recent interview that this is a story for someone else to tell.
“[There’s no scene of where White Vision is in the world] because the point is that he’s not her guy. That’s not the man that she had children with. That’s not the one who’s been in the sitcom world with him. That’s not the one that she said goodbye to on a hill in Wakanda. That’s the body and the data. So for the purposes of me and my job on the show, and what I focus on, where he ends up is an afterthought to the story proper.”
This is probably the correct way to build a story in a shared universe. WandaVision wraps up nicely and fully explains the Westview situation, leaving the pieces on the board for the MCU to pick up on at a later date. Bettany has already said he’d be happy to keep playing Vision forever, so I’m betting he’ll return for an appearance in either Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness or Spider-Man: No Way Home, both of which will likely feature Wanda as some brand of reality-warping antagonist.
Vision’s resurrection may have been convoluted, but I’m just glad he’s still around, as the MCU is far more interesting with him in it.