It’s been a few years since Terry Matalas made his mark on the Star Trek universe with Picard Season 3, but the writer is inextricably linked to the franchise. His work on Picard famously helped him land his next gig, with Marvel boss Kevin Feige seeking him out to helm a project involving the Vision (Paul Bettany).
“That’s how I got to know him,” Feige told Inverse in 2024. “It was from his amazing [work] on Picard Season 3. I said: This is incredible. I don’t know how this exists. Let me find the person who made this.”
Feige’s own love for Trek is well-known at this point: some of the biggest films in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe were inspired by classic Star Trek episodes. And that influence will apparently continue with Matalas’ latest project. Tentatively titled Vision Quest, the upcoming show spins off from Vision’s strange reawakening from WandaVision. After manifesting a new entity without any of the human-like memories of the original Vision, the synthezoid known as “White Vision” took off to search for his own purpose. The details of his quest remain under wraps, but Matalas revealed that he’s taking a page from a beloved Star Trek character to build out the new Vision.
Matalas recently appeared at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention, where he teased a few influences for his Vision series. Per Gizmodo, the showrunner confirmed that two Picard alums will be boarding the project. Todd Stashwick will star in the Vision series as the assassin Paladin, while Orla Brady will take over the role of the AI F.R.I.D.A.Y., replacing Kerry Condon.
As for the subject matter, Matalas was a bit more coy. He revealed that Ultron, the ultra-powerful AI who helped create Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron, will play a “unique” role in the show. He also explained that the crew of the Vision show is “full of Star Trek fans,” allowing for a kind of shorthand during production. Vision’s arc in the series will even take some inspiration from Star Trek’s most famous character, Spock.
According to Matalas, the White Vision’s journey of self-discovery will partially mirror Spock’s in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In the 1986 film, Spock is still recovering from a similar transformation, after being resurrected at the end of The Search for Spock. Vision’s new lease on life, and his search for his lost humanity, will take on a similar bent. Though it’s not yet clear where this quest will take him, it can’t hurt to borrow a page from Star Trek.
