Marvel Theory: Ultron Will Return In MCU Phase 4

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently preparing for its highly anticipated phase 4, which will have both new and old characters, and is the perfect opportunity to bring back a villain that didn’t have a good introduction: Ultron. The MCU’s first three phases, collectively known as the Infinity saga, came to an end with Spider-Man: Far From Home after reaching its peak with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The latter marked the end of the arcs of most of the original Avengers, and Spider-Man: Far From Home gave viewers a taste of what the MCU looks like post-Avengers and post-final snap.

The MCU’s new era will begin with Black Widow, a prequel set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, expanding Natasha Romanoff’s story and (hopefully) solving a couple of mysteries around her character. The MCU will then welcome The Eternals, Shang-Chi, and reunite with Doctor Strange, Thor, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. In addition to that, the MCU will expand to the world of streaming thanks to Disney+ and its Marvel series, most notably The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki.

All of Disney+’s Marvel shows will be part of the MCU, with WandaVision and Loki tying into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This proper connection between films and TV shows makes way for a lot of possibilities for the MCU’s phase 4, including the return of Ultron, who has some unfinished businesses and still has connections with some of the remaining heroes.

Why Ultron Should Return In Marvel’s Phase 4

It’s very well known that the MCU has a villain problem, and Ultron is a good example of it. Voiced by James Spader, Ultron was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron and was an AI created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner intended to be a peacekeeping program that would help protect Earth from any and all domestic and extraterrestrial threats. The program was repurposed once Stark got a hold of the scepter and discovered the power of the Mind Stone inside of it, and so Ultron was brought to life – the problem was that the AI became unexpectedly sentient, and began to question its existence and purpose. Overwhelmed with a god complex, Ultron decided that his mission was to bring peace by eradicating humanity.

The problem with Ultron, as with many other villains in the MCU, was that he wasn’t developed properly and his motivations were problematic. Ultron ended up being nothing more than a device to break the Avengers and make the Sokovia Accords happen, thus setting up Captain America: Civil War. As a result, Ultron became one of the most forgettable villains in the Infinity saga, which is a shame as the character has a lot of potential. Luckily, there are ways the MCU can bring him back and give him another chance by actually developing the character and making his introduction in Age of Ultron pay off, instead of just being a poorly done way to lead the story to the Civil War conflict.

Ultron Could Have Survived Sokovia

Ultron is unlike any other Marvel villain, simply because he’s an AI, and can either have a physical form through a host (a robot or android, like Vision) or just exist as a virtual being, like J.A.R.V.I.S. In Age of Ultron, the Avengers realized that, in order to defeat Ultron, they had to destroy every single piece of its robots (Ultron Sentries) as its code could repair itself if just a fragment survived. By the end of the film, Vision destroyed the last Ultron Sentry standing, and it all pointed at Ultron being destroyed for good. Cut to: Spider-Man: Homecoming, where viewers learned that Adrian Toomes/Vulture (Michael Keaton) got a hold of some Ultron parts that were later turned into the Ultron Blaster Gun and the Anti-Gravity Gun.

All that when it comes to his physical form, but let’s not forget that Ultron is, first and foremost, an AI. A copy of the program could have been uploaded and saved somewhere, and is waiting for the right moment (or device) to rise again. The threat of Ultron could still be out there, and it wouldn’t be hard for Marvel to bring him back in phase 4.

How Phase 4 Can Bring Back Ultron (But Different)

Given that Ultron can exists in two ways, his return doesn’t exactly have to be as another robot or android. Times change and the MCU is now a couple of years ahead of the audience, so technology has definitely evolved even more, and with that come bigger and more dangerous menaces. Ultron’s return could be as a virtual being, one that can spread to networks all around the world, becoming a threat that the remaining heroes haven’t really encountered before – and now that Tony Stark is dead and the future of Bruce Banner/Hulk in the MCU is uncertain, they won’t have the “science bros” there to help. Luckily, they now have Shuri, who is smarter than Tony Stark, and who worked closely with Vision when finding a way to remove the Mind Stone from his forehead without killing him, so she’s surely acquainted with at least one part of the Ultron program by now.

As for when Ultron could come back, WandaVision seems to be the safest bet. Of the remaining heroes, Wanda is the one who has a stronger connection with Ultron, as they were both exposed to the powers of the Mind Stone. A part of Ultron lived in Vision, and Wanda was romantically involved with him. Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos took the Mind Stone from his forehead, but he will come back in WandaVision – and Ultron could be involved in that, either as a way for Vision to come back or simply tagging along. Of course, there’s also the multiverse and its proper introduction in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Many fans have theorized that Wanda will navigate through different realities so she can bring one version of Vision back to her present, which can obviously go wrong and she could also bring some unwanted guests, like Ultron.

The MCU has changed both behind the scenes and in-universe, and the most recent villains are proof that the writers have learned from past mistakes in the Marvel universe. Phase 4 will see the return of Civil War’s villain Helmut Zemo, the 2012 version of Loki is getting his own TV show, and in a different neighborhood, Vulture is coming back thanks to Morbius – it wouldn’t be surprising, then, if Marvel Studios brings Ultron back in the near future, with a much better storyline, well established (and understandable) motivations, and as more than just a device to set up something bigger.

Next: Avengers: Age of Ultron Was Marvel's Biggest Creative Failure