Doctor Strange 2 Sets Up 3 Opportunities For Ultron’s MCU Return

The second full trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sets up three different ways Ultron could return to the MCU after his apparent death in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Most MCU fans expect a great number of surprise appearances and cameos from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as the concept of the multiverse technically allows any Marvel character, whether dead, alive, or nonexistent within the MCU, to appear in the form of a variant. From Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter to Patrick Stewart's Professor X, there are some characters who are more likely to appear in Multiverse of Madness than others. One of the MCU characters whose return has already been teased is Ultron, whose sentries were shown escorting Doctor Strange towards his judgment.

Part of what makes Ultron one of the Avengers' most powerful villains is that he isn't limited to one single body. As a rogue A.I., Ultron can transfer his conscience to any of his sentries and use the internet to do almost anything he wants. Avengers: Age of Ultron established that Ultron perished when Vision destroyed his last sentry, but given the nature of his abilities, this supposed death remains questionable. It has been almost an in-universe decade since Ultron's defeat in the MCU, and there have been no signs of his return yet. This could finally change after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, paving the way for Ultron to return in a number of different ways.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could introduce or reintroduce any Marvel character to the main MCU universe. However, Ultron has more chances to return than anybody else. In fact, the robotic villain has at least three opportunities to return in Phase 4. Here's how he can come back and when fans can expect to see him again.

A Successful Ultron Program Exists In The MCU’s Multiverse

Ultron and the Ultron Bots in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

After the release of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Super Bowl trailer, it's clear that the easiest way for Ultron to return to the MCU is as a multiversal variant that wasn't defeated by the Avengers. The Ultron sentries shown in the trailer look far more advanced than Iron Man's Iron Legion and the ones Ultron used in the final battle of Avengers: Age of Ultron. It's possible that a multiversal Tony Stark, likely the rumored Superior Iron Man, succeeded in creating an Ultron program that protected not only the world but also helped patrol the multiverse.

But fate could be inescapable across all realities, and this benevolent Ultron program could also go rogue after Scarlet Witch arrives. The second trailer teased the battle between Wanda Maximoff and what appears to be the Illuminati, with Doctor Strange, Christine Palmer, and America Chavez possibly escaping while the Ultron bots try to stop a villainous Scarlet Witch. One of the surviving Ultron sentries could find its way into the MCU's main universe, prompting another artificial intelligence uprising. This would mirror how in Avengers: Age of Ultron, one tattered Iron Legion sentry signaled the birth of the villain and his robot army. Alternatively, a surviving Ultron sentry could simply find Ultron's backup in the MCU's main universe and reawaken him.

Supreme Strange Teases The Return of A Multiversal Ultron

Evil doctor Strange can beat Ultron What if

The possible return of an even more powerful version of Ultron was teased by Marvel well before the second trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released to the public. The appearance of the corrupted Supreme Strange in the first trailer suggests that the eternal battle between What If...?'s Killmonger and Ultron has been interrupted, as Supreme Stange vowed to watch over them forever. With Supreme Strange free and the multiverse in disarray, both the multiversal Ultron and Killmonger could be somewhere out there trying to conquer other realities.

This Ultron, however, is extremely different from the one introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Coming from a universe where he successfully transferred his conscience onto Vision's body, What If...?'s Ultron is far more powerful, even without the Infinity Stones. Besides that, Black Widow infected this Ultron with Arnim Zola's virus. If the return of Supreme Strange in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness means that a live-action version of What If...?'s Ultron will arrive in the MCU, it's possible that he won't be wielding the Infinity Stones. It is possible that they were taken from him by the version of Killmonger that he was trapped with following the final events of What If...?. Still, the combination of Ultron, Vision, and Zola would make him an exciting triple threat.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness Could Lead To A Real Age of Ultron

Avengers Age of Ultron Concept Art By Ryan Meinerding

The appearance of the Ultron sentries in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could lead to a more direct version of Ultron's return. Instead of involving an Infinity-Stone-wielding combo of Vision and Arnim Zola, and instead of bringing in an Iron Legion designed by a multiversal Superior Iron Man, Multiverse of Madness could visit the universe introduced in What If...? episode 8, where Ultron successfully took over the world. A live-action adaptation of the war that destroyed this reality would honor the original comic book storyline, where Ultron's reign was treated as a truly apocalyptic event and not as a one-off event in the Infinity Saga. After all, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is introducing What If...?'s Marvel Zombies universe to live-action. However, one obstacle to a dark Age of Ultron reinvention would be the absence of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Captain America, and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, who are inevitably tied to the Avengers' war against Ultron. Nevertheless, a full-length movie or series set in a universe where Ultron won could be possible after Doctor Strange breaks the multiverse open.

Where Ultron Could Appear In MCU Phase 4

Apart from a hypothetical reinvention of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultron could reappear in a number of upcoming MCU movies and shows, if Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness allows it. Kang's time-traveling abilities could help him join forces with Ultron in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which would also allow Hank Pym, Ultron's original creator in the comics, to interact with the villain. Ironheart and Armor Wars could also add an extra layer of drama to Iron Man's legacy with the return of Ultron, forcing Riri Williams and War Machine to deal with Tony Stark's most dangerous creation. Finally, a Young Avengers movie or show would help the team of heroes prove themselves by facing Ultron, and it would give Ultron another shot at leaving a definitive mark in the MCU.

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