VisionQuest: the 6 AI characters and their MCU origins explained

This article contains benign spoilers for “VisionQuest”.

We last saw the resurrected “White Vision” (Paul Bettany) flying off to parts unknown at the end of “WandaVision.” The new series “VisionQuest” reveals what White Vision has been up to since. In an effort to restore his own humanity and emotions, he uses the voices in his head to keep him company.

Vision is just one of the artificial intelligences developed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) before Stark’s death. If you remember Vision’s debut in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Vision is a combination of the AI ​​JARVIS (Bettany) and a vibranium “synthezoid” body intended for the evil android Ultron (James Spader) as his perfect form. In “VisionQuest”, it is revealed that Vision has saved several other Stark AIs into his own programming.

These interacting chains of code are represented by a digital world where all AIs, including Vision, live together in a veritable mind palace. Each of the AIs also has a unique human avatar in Vision’s inner world. Vision’s avatar is also played by Paul Bettany, of course, but what about the other six? Why do their names and faces seem so familiar? Let’s break them all down.

In the “Iron Man” films, Tony Stark’s workshop featured two movable hydraulic arms, powered by rudimentary AIs. They were given the rather demeaning names Dum-E and U (as in “Hey, you, come here”). They were background “characters” in the films, used primarily to establish what a genius Tony was and that he had already created primitive robots long before he became Iron Man.

Apparently, the AIs on the arms were sophisticated enough to qualify them for membership in Vision’s AI group. Consistent with how they were depicted in the real world, inside Vision’s head, Dum-E and U – depicted as a duo – are the handymen of Vision’s house and remain silent. They are played by Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer, who are also drama partners outside of “VisionQuest.”

Lewis and Sayer are co-founders of the British comedy theater troupe Mischief Theatre, established in 2008, and have appeared together in several theater (including television) productions. From 2019 to 2021, they appeared in the BBC comedy series “The Goes Wrong Show”, a comedy series about a theater troupe trying (and often failing) to put on television plays.

Speaking to Rotten Tomatoes about joining the MCU, Lewis explained the character dynamics: “They’re probably sometimes not as in sync as they think comedically. So, definitely, the way U is late quite a lot. He thinks he has the answer and then DUM-E says, ‘No, that’s not the answer, is it?'”

The first true talking AI introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, JARVIS (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) was Tony Stark’s automated assistant who even helped pilot the Iron Man suit. The character was an adaptation of Tony’s human butler from the comics, Edwin Jarvis.

In “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, JARVIS was seemingly destroyed by a newly awakened Ultron, but it turns out that a small fragment of him survived, buried deep within the Internet. This fragment became a vital part of Vision, and Paul Bettany (who was the voice of JARVIS since the first “Iron Man”) got the natural upgrade to play Vision.

The MCU TV show “Agent Carter,” a 1940s spinoff of “Captain America: The First Avenger,” adapted Jarvis in the flesh, portraying him as Howard Stark’s (Dominic Cooper) butler. Implicitly, Jarvis was Tony’s butler during young Stark’s childhood, and the AI ​​JARVIS was named in his honor. (Hence the rather tortured acronym, clearly designed to refer to “Jarvis” as a spelling.)

D’Arcy returned to play Edwin Jarvis for a cameo in “Avengers: Endgame,” a crossover that rectified “Agent Carter’s” place in the MCU canon. “VisionQuest” merges the two incarnations: D’Arcy plays the human avatar of the JARVIS left in Vision. Having Bettany play JARVIS again when he’s now Vision would just be confusing, and it makes perfect in-universe sense for JARVIS to take on the appearance of his namesake.

James D’Arcy is also quite a prolific actor outside of Marvel. Recently, he played Patrick Blackett in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” the Cambridge University professor to whom a young Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) attempts to feed a poisoned apple.

With JARVIS installed in Vision in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, Tony Stark replaced Iron Man with a new AI operating system. Enter FRIDAY (Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth), who debuted in the third act of “Age of Ultron” during the Avengers’ battle against Ultron in Sokovia. Her name is a play on the phrase “Girl Friday”, meaning a diligent assistant.

In “Age of Ultron”, FRIDAY was voiced by Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), who later returned in “Captain America: Civil War”, “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”. Condon used his own Irish accent to voice FRIDAY, which obviously influenced the character’s redesign in “VisionQuest.”

Condon is not returning to play FRIDAY in “VisionQuest,” where the human AI avatar is instead played by Irish actress Orla Brady. Terry Matalas, showrunner of “VisionQuest,” was previously the showrunner of seasons 2 and 3 of “Star Trek: Picard.” In “Picard”, Brady played Laris, the Romulan governess of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), as well as Laris’ ancestor in 21st century Tallinn. Brady is just one “Picard” alum to appear in “VisionQuest.” Todd Stashwick, who played Captain Liam Shaw in season 3 of “Picard,” appears in “VisionQuest” as bounty hunter Paladin.

As for Orla Brady’s other roles, her appearance in the 2013 “Doctor Who” Christmas special “The Time of the Doctor” as Tasha Lem makes her one of many links between “Star Trek” and “Doctor Who.” Her other recurring television roles include Elizabeth Bishop on “Fringe” and Lydia on “Into The Badlands.”

EDITH (Even Dead, I’m The Hero) is an AI who was the main MacGuffin of “Spider-Man: Far From Home”. Contained within and accessible through a pair of sunglasses, EDITH was the operating system for Stark Industries’ satellite systems – and all the missiles and drones within them.

After her death in “Avengers: Endgame”, Tony intended to leave EDITH to Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Unfortunately, Peter was tricked into handing over the glasses to illusionist super-villain Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), who was posing as a superhero.

In “VisionQuest”, EDITH is presented as the most eccentric AI living inside Vision. As part of Vision’s Quest To rediscover human emotions, EDITH submits to simulations of extreme situations, such as driving and skydiving.

EDITH is played by Emily Hampshire, best known for her role in the Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” about the wealthy Rose family who lose everything… except a small town they had practically forgotten they owned. Hampshire played Stevie Budd, an employee at the motel where the Roses live who becomes a close friend of the family.

Hampshire is also another Terry Matalas alum; she played mentally ill math genius Jennifer Goines in “12 Monkeys,” the television series adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1995 time-travel film, co-created by Matalas and Travis Fickett. A prominent face of Canadian television, Hampshire’s next role will be in Season 2 of the mega-popular hockey and queer romance series “Heated Rivalry.”