Vision (Marvel Cinematic Universe) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vision |
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Paul Bettany as Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron
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| First appearance | Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) |
| Portrayed by | Paul Bettany |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Vis |
| Species | Synthezoid |
| Affiliation | Avengers |
| Children | Billy and Tommy Maximoff |
| Origin | Midtown Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Weapon | Mind Stone |
| Creators |
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The Vision is a special character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He is played by Paul Bettany. Vision is a type of robot called a "Synthezoid," made from a strong metal called vibranium.
He was first created by the villain Ultron to be his perfect body. However, the Avengers took this body. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner then gave Vision life. They uploaded the smart computer program J.A.R.V.I.S. (also voiced by Paul Bettany) into the body. Thor helped power him up with his lightning.
Vision then joined the Avengers and helped them defeat Ultron. He later fell in love with his teammate, Wanda Maximoff. Most of Vision's amazing powers come from the Mind Stone in his forehead. This stone also keeps him alive. He can fly, walk through solid objects (called "phasing"), and shoot energy beams.
Vision was killed by Thanos, who took the Mind Stone from his head. This allowed Thanos to complete his Infinity Gauntlet and make half of all living things disappear, an event known as the Blip. Later, Vision's body was brought back to life by Wanda's magic. This new Vision looked different and didn't have his memories at first. Wanda also created another version of Vision using her magic in a fake town called Westview, New Jersey. This version disappeared when Wanda stopped her magic.
As of 2023, Vision has been in three movies. He was a main character in the TV show WandaVision (2021). Other versions of Vision from different universes have appeared in the cartoon series What If...? (2021).
How Vision Was Created
The idea for Vision first appeared in comic books a long time ago. A character named The Vision, who was an alien, showed up in Marvel Mystery Comics in 1940.
Later, in the 1960s, comic creators Stan Lee and Roy Thomas wanted to add a new hero to The Avengers comic team. Roy Thomas wanted to bring back the old alien Vision. But Stan Lee wanted a new robot hero. They decided to create a new, robot Vision. This new Vision first appeared in The Avengers #57 in 1968.
Roy Thomas wanted Vision to be white, like a ghost. But old printing methods would have made him look colorless. So, he chose red instead. He didn't want Vision to be green like the Hulk or blue like the Atlanteans. Some people compared Vision to Spock from Star Trek. But Thomas said he was more inspired by a robot named Adam Link. Adam Link was one of the first robots in stories that readers felt sympathy for, instead of just seeing him as a machine.
In 1970, the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) joined the Avengers team again. Soon, she and Vision started a romantic relationship. Roy Thomas felt that a romance would help make the characters more interesting. Since both Vision and Wanda mostly appeared in The Avengers comic, it made sense for them to be together. This also helped show Vision's journey to become more "human."
Vision's Personality and Role
Before Vision appeared in the MCU, Paul Bettany was already the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S.. J.A.R.V.I.S. was Tony Stark's smart computer helper in earlier movies. Bettany said he didn't know much about the role when he recorded it. He just did it as a favor for director Jon Favreau.
Later, he was surprised when director Joss Whedon asked him to play Vision. Usually, if an actor plays one character in the MCU, they don't play another. Bettany was interested in Vision because he is a new creature. He is very powerful but also very innocent. Bettany liked exploring the idea of someone so strong being born in a second. He also liked the complex moral choices Vision makes.
Bettany said that Vision feels like a father figure and is protective of many people, especially Wanda Maximoff. Vision can also change how dense he is, meaning he can become very light or very heavy. Paul Bettany had to do special wire work for the role to show Vision flying.
Joss Whedon wanted to include Vision in the second Avengers movie even before he started the first one. Vision's look on screen was designed by Trent Claus and his team at Lola VFX. They based it on ideas from Ryan Meinerding. Paul Bettany's makeup took two hours to put on. It was a mix of face paint and fake parts. The hardest part was getting Vision's skin color just right. In the end, many of the makeup effects were improved digitally with computers.
In Captain America: Civil War, Vision was still new to the world. Bettany said that Vision was "omnipotent" (all-powerful) but also "totally naive." He was learning about the world and his place in it. People wondered if he would be a force for good or evil. Bettany was also interested in showing "what it means to be human and what love is" through Vision. He believed that love was the only way to guarantee loyalty.
This idea is shown in Vision's growing connection with Wanda Maximoff. Bettany said they both had new powers they didn't fully understand. Vision worried that they both could be dangerous. So, he felt a strong connection with her. Vision can also change his appearance to look like a normal human. When he does, he often dresses like Howard Stark's old assistant, Edwin Jarvis. One review said that Vision is a robot who gained consciousness and learned about love at the same time. Because of this, love is very important to him.
In WandaVision, Paul Bettany plays a new version of Vision. Wanda created him inside her magical reality. This Vision is made from the part of the Mind Stone that lives in her. He represents her sadness, hope, and love. Bettany described this Vision as "decent and honorable." He was inspired by actors like Dick Van Dyke and Hugh Laurie for this role.
Bettany also plays the original Vision's body in WandaVision. This body was put back together and turned on by an organization called S.W.O.R.D.. This version of Vision is all white, like when the comic book character was brought back to life without his memories or feelings. Bettany made the white Vision seem familiar but also a bit scary.
Vision's Look and Special Effects
In the comic books, Vision wears a bright green and yellow costume with a red face. This look might be too bright for the more realistic Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, for the movies, Vision's skin is a mix of purple, blue, and grey. This was an unexpected but bold choice for Paul Bettany's character.
When Vision wants to look like a normal person, he tries to dress in classic human styles. He even wears an ascot tie, which is a fancy type of necktie.
When Vision's original body is brought back to life by S.W.O.R.D., his entire body is white. He also has light blue eyes.
