Paul Bettany has been with the MCU since its inception with the first Iron Man film, where he did little more than some voice acting, to where he is now, an integral part of this ever-growing cinematic universe of superheroes. But for the most part, people haven't really gotten the chance to see the "real" Paul Bettany, as he is almost always under the guise of Vision in the films. And even though his part in the MCU is surely more than enough to pay the bills, as an actor it is only natural that he has been associated with a multitude of other projects as well.
He first came into mass popularity for his roles in films like the crime-drama Gangster No. 1 and the Heath Ledger adventure comedy A Knight's Tale. Since then, he has starred in many other fantastic films as well outside of the MCU, and this list takes a look at some of them.
Uncle Frank (2020) - 77%
It's the 1970s, and the only person that teenager Beth Bledsoe looks up to in her family is her uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) who is a college professor living in New York. When she shows up at his apartment unannounced, she is met with the surprising revelation that her uncle is gay and lives with his boyfriend, a fact he had kept secret from everybody else.
On hearing the news of a death in the family the uncle-niece duo set out on a road trip back home, a journey that ultimately changes all of their lives drastically, for better or worse.
The Young Victoria (2009) - 76%
There's no end to the number of films and TV shows revolving around the English monarchy. It's a niche many people hold a certain level of interest in. Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are the prime focus of the plot as the Queen and her husband Prince Albert, while Paul Bettany can be found in the supporting role of Lord Melbourne, who was a mentor figure to the Queen and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The set pieces, especially the dramatic costumes are exceptionally well done, proven by the fact that The Young Victoria won an Oscar for it.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - 79%
Vision may have been introduced in Age of Ultron, but Paul Bettany himself had been an integral part of the MCU long before that as the voice of the A.I. that ran Iron Man's suit - J.A.R.V.I.S. It is certainly interesting how Bettany's role was dependent on that of Robert Downey Jr's but he has outlived his tenure now.
Iron Man 3 remains on the more lower-rated side of the MCU, made worse by the whole Mandarin twist which wasn't liked much by anybody, but it allowed for Iron Man's story trilogy to come to a decent conclusion.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) - 85%
What sounds like the unnecessarily wordy title of a video game is actually the unnecessarily wordy title of a movie adaptation of a series of books by author Patrick O'Brian. Set during the 19th century Napoleonic Wars, the books, a total of 21 novels, describe the naval adventures of Jack Aubrey, a captain in the Royal Navy, and Stephen Maturin, a surgeon working at the ships.
Production included many life-size ships out in the open sea, which resulted in a total cost of $150 million, an impressive number that wasn't matched by its box-office gross of just a little over $200 million.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - 85%
Infinity War certainly wasn't a very good time for Paul Bettany's Vision. After finally being able to settle down peacefully with the love of his life, he is yanked into a cosmic war with the fate of the world at stake.
To make matters worse, a purple alien wielding one of the most dangerous weapons in existence is looking for the infinity stone that he holds within himself, something that is essential for his continued existence. The way Vision was murdered was brutal, to say the least, and it showed exactly how ruthless the enemy team was.
Margin Call (2011) - 87%
The world of finance and economics is a complicated yet compelling one and a topic that many films have attempted to explore before to varying degrees of success. While something like The Big Short is more educational in nature, Margin Call tries to take a more thrilling approach.
The 2007-2008 financial crisis was an event worthy of the history books that affected the lives of hundreds of millions, and Margin Call takes the audience to a time period just before the crisis hit, to a group of people that manage to predict what is about to come.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - 90%
2016's Civil War divided the heroes (and to an extent the fanbase) into two teams, with Captain America and Iron Man on opposite sides of the fight. Both groups were fighting for what they believed to be right, and although Black Panther and Spider-Man's introduction to the MCU was awesome, the events of the film had some major negative impacts as well.
Vision is still learning the ropes of being a physical being in the film, but he gets tangled in a conflict and forced to right against people who are supposed to be his allies.
WandaVision (2021) - 91%
WandaVision was far from the first TV series set in the MCU, but it was directly related to the events of the films in a way the other shows weren't. More importantly, it put some well-deserved attention on two members of the Avengers. The teasers and trailers hinted at something spectacularly unique, and that is exactly what it delivered.
Even though Vision was killed in Infinity War, he was technically revived for WandaVision and then killed again, but in the form of "White Vision" he continues to live on so Paul Bettany can be expected to appear in future MCU projects.
Journey's End (2017) 91%
Written by R. C. Sherriff, the play Journey's End details the lives of a group of soldiers during World War 1 and their extremely harsh experiences, specifically with trench warfare.
It has proved to be so popular that since being published in 1928 the play has been adapted into films a total of five times, the latest edition being the 2017 film starring Paul Bettany and Sex Education star Asa Butterfield and Peaky Blinders actor Sam Claflin. Before they were cast, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston were being eyed for the roles.
Manhunt: Unabomber (2017) - 93%
This anthology series focuses on various large-scale acts of terrorism and the perpetrators behind them. The first season is about Ted Kaczynski, better known by the name the media gave him as the "Unabomber", who orchestrated a series of bombings across America in the late 90s.
A heavily dramatized version of the historical events that actually happened, it stars Paul Bettany as the Unabomber himself and Avatar actor Sam Worthington against him as the FBI agent Jim Fitzgerald who contributed to bringing the terrorist down.