Paul Bettany has now played six different characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, more than any other actor in the franchise. The VisionQuest star’s latest roles in the Disney+ series expanded his MCU legacy far beyond the synthezoid.
All six characters Paul Bettany has played in MCU
J.A.R.V.I.S.
Bettany first joined the MCU as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark’s artificial intelligence assistant. He voiced the AI in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. He also voiced an alternate J.A.R.V.I.S. in the animated series What If…?.
Vision
J.A.R.V.I.S. evolved into Vision, a sentient synthezoid born from the AI, Ultron’s programming, and the Mind Stone. Bettany physically portrayed the vibranium-bodied character in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and WandaVision.
White Vision
S.W.O.R.D. reassembled and memory-wiped the original Vision into a bleached iteration called White Vision. Bettany first played this version in WandaVision and then led the 2026 Disney+ series VisionQuest as the character. He will reprise the role in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Phineas Horton
VisionQuest Episode 7, “Immolation,” introduced Bettany as Phineas Horton, the human scientist who created the first AI automaton. Horton built J.I.M. as a replacement for his deceased son. His wife confronted him directly before leaving, telling him, “You are not God. James is gone, Phineas. Three years dead. And yet you remain haunted.”
J.I.M. / Synthetic Man
Bettany also portrayed J.I.M., Horton’s synthetic creation and the original Human Torch, in the same episode. The android’s inability to process complex emotions caused catastrophic malfunctions. Horton’sal intelligence that followed in the MCU
Ultron (in Vision’s Body)
The actor’s sixth role arrived in the VisionQuest episode “Malware.” Bettany portrayed Ultron while the villain possessed a form of Vision’s body. This marked the first time the actor physically embodied the role originally associated with James Spader.
