2026 has been a monumental year for Marvel fans, kicking off with the January release of Wonder Man and continuing through a string of Disney+ hits like the second seasons of Daredevil: Born Again and X-Men '97. But the real game-changer arrived in late July with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which swung past $2.5 billion at the global box office, cementing its place among the highest-grossing films ever. All of this momentum has been building toward the colossal Avengers: Doomsday, set to hit theaters on December 18—the same day as Dune: Part Three. Before that epic showdown, Marvel delivered VisionQuest, the Paul Bettany-led series now streaming in full on Disney+.
Considered the third chapter in a trilogy that began with WandaVision in 2021 and continued with Agatha All Along in 2024, VisionQuest had big shoes to fill. Both earlier shows were crafted by Jac Schaeffer, who has since moved on to write the upcoming Stargate series for Prime Video. For VisionQuest, Marvel tapped Star Trek veteran Terry Matalas as showrunner and lead writer—a choice that paid off handsomely, as the series earned critical and audience acclaim.
During a recent episode of Collider's Behind the Scenes series, host Maggie Lovitt sat down with Matalas to discuss the season finale. She asked whether he had consulted Schaeffer about wrapping up the trilogy or if she offered any advice on concluding the story. His answer was surprising: “No, not at all. I called her early on, right when I got the job, because I wanted to just tell her what an honor it was to do this. I love WandaVision. I saw every episode twice when it came out. I would pop it back on. And the first thing she said is, ‘I don’t want to talk about anything creative. You have your blank canvas here.’ And I thought that that was really generous, you know? She certainly could have [said], ‘Be mindful of X, Y, and Z,’ and she didn’t. She wanted us to go do our own thing. And so, that was that. We had exactly that, a blank canvas.”
That hands-off approach from Schaeffer gave Matalas the freedom to shape VisionQuest without the weight of prior creative constraints. It's a refreshing departure from the often-guarded nature of franchise storytelling, where creators sometimes feel pressure to adhere to established lore. Instead, Schaeffer's trust in Matalas and his team allowed them to craft a story that stands on its own while still honoring the emotional core of the trilogy.
Fans of the series were treated to standout performances from Bettany and James Spader, who reprised his role as Ultron for the first time since Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015. But the biggest question looming over the season was whether Elizabeth Olsen would return as Scarlet Witch, last seen crushed under a mountain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The post-credits scene answered that with a dramatic twist: Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) revives Wanda to harness her power, setting the stage for her likely major role in Avengers: Doomsday.
For those who haven't caught up, VisionQuest is a must-watch, especially if you're gearing up for Doomsday. And if you're in the mood for more Marvel deep dives, check out our analysis of the original WandaVision series or our breakdown of the VisionQuest finale. Matalas also recently discussed giving Patrick Stewart a perfect Picard send-off, showing his knack for honoring beloved characters.
All episodes of VisionQuest are now streaming on Disney+. With Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, the MCU is poised for an explosive conclusion to its Multiverse Saga—and VisionQuest has set the stage perfectly.
