No Marvel Cinematic Universe project has ever generated as many fan theories as WandaVision, which spawned at least a dozen new lines of inquiry every time an episode dropped. Of course, that was to be expected when the franchise’s first episodic exclusive dealt with the very fabric of reality, and one recurring notion was the idea that James Spader’s Ultron was set to stop by for a surprise appearance.
It all began when Spader was spotted on IMDb listed among WandaVision‘s credited cast members, and continued several weeks in after the malevolent artificial intelligence was name-dropped by Monica Rambeau, which did not sit well with Wanda Maximoff. Of course, as soon as Evan Peters appeared as the recast version of Pietro, the rumor gained traction once again, if only because Ultron was responsible for the death of the real Quicksilver in the second Avengers outing.
Obviously, the villain never returned, but insider Daniel Richtman now offers that Marvel are nonetheless interested in bringing Spader’s Ultron back into the fold to have him fight the Scarlet Witch in a future MCU project. That’s about the beginning and end of the tipster’s say on the matter, but The Blacklist star is expected to lend his vocal talents to What If…? after leaked concept art showed Ultron wielding the Infinity Stones, so perhaps any talks he had with the studio regarding an animated comeback may have circled around to live-action as well.
As for where it could happen? Well, if we were to speculate, then Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be the logical and obvious choice. Not only will the plot see Scarlet Witch travel through countless alternate realities to find her children, but it’s the only movie or TV show that Elizabeth Olsen is officially confirmed for at the moment, and an Ultron cameo makes perfect narrative sense given their history.
