Summary
- Vision is making a comeback in a new Marvel series with Paul Bettany reprising his role and fresh storylines to unravel.
- Terry Matalas, the showrunner, impressed Marvel chief Kevin Feige with his Star Trek work, is set to helm this venture for Marvel in 2026.
- Marvel is changing its TV strategy, now adopting traditional showrunner roles to take productions to new heights.
Marvel has announced a new series set to explore the adventures of Vision that is slated for release in 2026 on Disney+. The series will see Paul Bettany reprising his role, with Star Trek: Picard executive producer Terry Matalas at the helm as showrunner, as reported by Variety.
Matalas was chosen to lead this project following his acclaimed work on the third season of Star Trek: Picard, which revived the characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation and also earned him a nomination for a Writers Guild of America award for the 2023 series finale. His ability to weave complex storylines and character development clearly resonated with Marvel’s executives, including Marvel chief Kevin Feige, who is known for his affinity for Star Trek.
The new MCU series marks the return of Vision, who first met his demise at the hands of Thanos in the blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War. His character experienced a complex revival in the 2021 mini-series WandaVision, where he appeared in two forms: one a spectral figure conjured by Wanda Maximoff’s grief-stricken magic, and the other as a reassembled white android devoid of previous memories.
WandaVision
- Release Date
- January 15, 2021
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Disney+, Marvel Studios
- Franchise
- Marvel
The finale of WandaVision saw these two incarnations confront each other, leading to a restoration of the android Vision’s memories before his spectral counterpart was allowed to dissolve. The upcoming series will follow the android Vision as he embarks on a quest for purpose, using the narrative built on WandaVision as the backdrop.
This project arose from an earlier attempt to develop a Vision series spearheaded by WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer. However, Schaeffer shifted focus to another WandaVision spinoff, Agatha All Along, featuring Kathryn Hahn, which is set to premiere this September.
Marvel Revamps TV Strategy with a Focus on Traditional Showrunner Roles
Historically, Marvel structured its television projects akin to its cinematic endeavors, where head writers laid out the narrative groundwork, but directors and studio executives held the reins of creative control. However, in a shift stated by Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s head of streaming, television, and animation, the studio started adopting a more traditional TV model in 2022. This new strategy involves extended development phases and entrusts writer-producers with comprehensive oversight of productions, akin to showrunners.
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As part of its strategic overhaul, Marvel is also rebranding its live-action television segment as Marvel Television. Furthermore, it’s scaling back its output to approximately two shows annually, a reduction from its previous pace of up to four releases each year.
Terry Matalas brings a rich resume to his new role at Marvel. Before taking the reins for the much-lauded Star Trek: Picard, Matalas established himself through his work on the Syfy series 12 Monkeys and served as the executive producer and showrunner for the fourth season of the MacGyver reboot on CBS. His credentials extend beyond television; he has restored multiple Back to the Future DeLoreans, showcasing them on platforms like Jay Leno’s Garage, in Super Bowl commercials, and even at the Academy Awards.
