Marvel projects can take a long time to reach fruition, a fact reflected by constant release date delays and a crowded list of projects in development hell. One of the most mysterious Disney+ spinoff series, however, is finally taking steps toward the finish line by casting a crucial character, and while we still know next to nothing about her, her mere involvement breathes new life into a villain the MCU has long forgotten.
Deadline reports that T’Nia Miller has joined the upcoming Disney+ series Vision Quest as Jocasta. Miller, best known for her roles in Mike Flanagan’s Haunting of Bly Manor and The Fall of the House of Usher, will play “the cunning and powerful Jocasta who is driven by revenge” in the spinoff, which follows Vision after the events of WandaVision. But what revenge could she be seeking? The answers may lie in the comics.
Jocasta was introduced in The Avengers #162, published in 1977. Ultron created her so he could have a mate, but he didn’t create her alone: her brainwaves were based on Janet van Dyne, aka the Wasp, while a brainwashed Hank Pym assisted the process. While Jocasta was programmed to be loyal to Ultron, she often assisted the Avengers with their superheroic efforts. As a robot, she’s been destroyed and reassembled several times, including a stint where her programming resided in Iron Man’s armor, much like J.A.R.V.I.S.
What does she have to do with Vision? Like Vision, she was created by Ultron, which makes them siblings, but she was also taken as Ultron’s mate, so she’s also sort of his stepmom. Despite all the robotic incest implications, Jocasta actually developed feelings for Vision, but he was happily married to the Scarlet Witch and didn’t reciprocate.
If Jocasta is “driven by revenge” in Vision Quest, then there are two obvious possibilities. She’s either an ally of Vision who’s turned against her creator and is looking for answers regarding Ultron, who could return to life or appear via flashback, or she’s somehow been spurned by Vision and is out for revenge against him.
Considering that Ultron has never really come up again since Avengers: Age of Ultron, and that his supposed Age lasted about half an hour, the former would be far more exciting. There are already rumors flying that James Spader could return as the AI villain, who never got the chance to truly stretch all his figurative muscles as an MCU villain. Maybe this casting update is confirmation that he’ll get another chance at relevancy; it would be fitting, considering AI villains are now trying to take over Hollywood for real.
