Thanks to the final few episodes of Marvel’sWhat If…?on Disney+, the world has slowly begun to crave more Ultron content for the first time since the 2ndAvengersmovie. Or, at the very least, Disney is really good at making the world believe it wants more Ultron content. Maybe they heard a few fans talking about how cool it would be to bring the character back and decided to make that the focus of the show. Remember, the mouse has ears everywhere.
As these things go, as soon as a character gains popularity, tradition dictates that said character must enjoy a fresh batch of fan art. It happened forthe newVenommovie, it happens every time somebody’s sneeze sounds vaguely like “Sephiroth,” and now it’s happened to Marvel’s late bloomer of a villain, courtesy of artist Rahal Nejraoui. Hey, fan artists love villains. It’s just a fact of life.
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However, unlike the typical forms of fan art which are admittedly extremely impressive on their own, Nejraoui decided to take a spin in the mashup machine to see how things might look if Paul Bettany himself took on the role of Ultron. Seeing as howthe android body of Vision, played by Bettany, just so happens to look like the actor (funny how these things work out), it makes sense that a live-action version of Ultron in that body would also look the same. The result is rather chilling, and impressively striking.
Regardless of the criticisms fans may have had regarding Ultron’s inclusion in the series, particularly wonderingwhy his shenanigans didn’t alert the TVA, there’s no denying that the megalomaniacal artificial intelligence certainly made an impact when he was revealed as the big bad ofWhat If…?It was a classic Marvel bait and switch, pulling the rug out from under fans who may have suspected that Jeffrey Wright’s Watcher would end up filling that role. But seeing Bettany’s likeness adorned with Ultron’s imposing armor and the 5 Infinity Stones, it’s almost a relief that this is the character they went with, at least from an aesthetic standpoint.
Nejraoui’s artwork combines the intimidation factor of Ultron with the gentle, compassionate air of Bettany’s Vision. It may not have been intentional, given how Bettany is clearly able to play a real meanieas seen inSolo: A Star Wars Story. But when he’s in that hybrid of makeup and CGI enhancements that turn him into Wanda’s boo, it’s hard to see anything but the big softie who makes a mean paprikash.
Based on the end ofWandaVision, fans are sure to see some version of Bettany’s Vision at some point in the future. But chances are quite a bit less likely for the sort of crossover seen in Nejraoui’s lovely piece. So in that case, it makes the artwork all the more precious.
