As Phase 4 of the MCU draws to a close, fans ponder the future of the MCU as we delve deeper into the multiverse saga every day. Unlike Phase 1, where we only had a small preview of the story to come, fans already know what to expect regarding this saga.”End of Game.” Although we know that all roads lead to Avengers: Secret Wars, as the old saying goes, “It’s not the destination; it is the journey.
Marvel will tackle many aspects of the MCU over the next two phases, taking different routes, which will eventually come together by the time Phase 6 rolls around. Even though Marvel is looking to expand the frontiers of its cinematic universe with bold new stories, that doesn’t mean it can’t go back to previous stories and find new ways to bring them to the forefront of the next phases.
In this “What I Heard” rumored episode, I’d like to share some interesting tidbits I’ve heard regarding the return of one of the MCU’s most important antagonists. Although not from our usual sources, I still found it interesting enough to share as there is plausibility to what I have been told here. So let’s go.
Ultron AI Restart
So now let’s talk about the potential return of the infamous rogue AI, Ultron. According to one of our sources, Ultron’s AI was not destroyed as a result of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the remnants of Ultron’s AI are still active but “dormant”.
When, where, and how Ultron returns has yet to be determined. The last time we saw Ultron take an active role in the 616 universe was in 2015. But that didn’t stop the character from making waves in the MCU even after his death.
The events of Avengers: Age of Ultron resulted in several consequences explored with the development of the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. A variant of Ultron played a main antagonistic role in the What if…? anime series and “good” Ultron bot variants made a brief appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Ultron has even been the villain in other MCU-adjacent projects, such as the Avengers: damage control and Avengers: Quantum Encounter mounted.
All signs point to Ultron
Several clues have already been dropped in previous projects hinting at Ultron’s return. The first clue dates back to Ultron’s debut in 2015. When Tony Stark and the newborn Vision lay out the plan to defeat Ultron, they repeatedly explain that “every form he has [Ultron] built, any trace of his presence on the net “had to be destroyed, or Ultron might have a roundabout way to escape and return.
While at first this plan seems to have succeeded, we know it has ultimately failed as we head towards Spider-Man: Homecoming and locate an Ultron head in the possession of the Department of Damage Control (DODC). More about them in another article.
Another clue Marvel presented regarding the return of AI came with the implementation of SWORD in Wanda Vision. When we were first introduced to Director Hayward and SWORD, we learned that because of the Blip, the organization was forced to focus on “robotics, nanotechnology, AI and sentient weapons” . We later find out that Director Hayward rebuilt Vision’s body and activated the synthezoid without using the Mind Stone. But who’s to say SWORD didn’t have access to Ultron’s schematics as a backup project?
One final hint, although meant as a throwaway joke, Marvel also somewhat teased the dangerous nature of the AI in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, when Queen Ramonda mentions her belief that the AI will one day rise up and kill us all. While Shuri dismisses her joke, Ramonda is fair in her assessment, considering how Ultron tried to destroy the world using Wakanda’s Vibranium.
When and Where Ultron Could Appear Next in the MCU
Given the delay between the launch of phase 5 and Secret Wars Closing out The Multiverse Saga, there really aren’t many projects that Ultron could reemerge in. However, I think two likely candidates could have Ultron’s return as a critical plot point for the project. And both work well.
The first place that comes to mind would be next Armor Wars film. The project was originally supposed to be a series on Disney+, then upgraded to a theatrically released movie.
According to the producer Nate Moore, the decision was made because “there were some great ideas coming out for this show, but…felt too big for this show…so there are ways to leverage ideas from this movie and affect d ‘other movies on the line.’ (Going through Collider)
Whereas Armor Wars is still in production, we know the story will touch on the idea of what would happen if Tony Stark’s tech fell into the wrong hands. Only a handful of people would have the ability to access Stark’s technology, and it turns out that a rogue human-built AI could be one of them.
Another project with the potential to present Ultron in a different light is the next one. vision quest project. According to Deadline, the project will involve The Vision, played by Paul Bettany, “trying to recover his memory and his humanity”. On his road to regaining his memory, it’s very likely that Vision will eventually brush up on the details of his birth.
This could lead to the reactivation of all of Ultron’s remnants attached to his brain. Ultron could appear as a recurring supporting character who internally battles with the Vision for control of the body while accompanying him on Vision’s journey to completion.
But what do you think? Would you be happy to see Ultron return? Let us know your thoughts in The cosmic circus Discord or on social networks!
Also check out the latest update at Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania here!
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