'VisionQuest' Explained: Who is Paladin?

VisionQuest premiered on Disney+, bringing back Paul Bettany as the synthezoid who is trying to understand his place in the world, learn more about humanity, and of course, try to piece together the life of the original Vision, his drama with Wanda Maximoff, and his sons Billy and Tommy.

But the journey, which also involves other AIs living in the character's mind, including Ultron, brings even more dangers for the protagonist, as he is still being hunted after the events of the WandaVision finale. In the very first episode, we meet the bounty hunter Paladin (Todd Stashwick), who kills the owner of the bar that shelters Vision, disguised in his human form, and in the second episode, he kidnaps Thomas Shepherd, a young man who appears with memories of Tommy, Wanda, and Vision in a life that wasn't his.

To better understand who the Paladin is, we've put together a summary of the character.

Who is the Paladin, the bounty hunter from VisionQuest?

Paladin is a mercenary and anti-hero from Marvel Comics, created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Carmine Infantino, making his debut in Daredevil #150, released in January 1978.

The inspiration for the character was the 1950s Western series Have Gun – Will Travel , whose protagonist was a hired gun named Paladin. Under the pseudonym Paul Denning (or Paul Dennis) in his civilian operations, his true identity and past before joining the army remain a mystery within the Marvel universe.

In the comics, unlike conventional villains, Paladin operates under his own code of ethics. He is a mercenary and private investigator who works almost exclusively for wealthy clients, but refuses openly immoral and even cruel orders. Throughout his stories, he frequently ends up aligning his goals with those of traditional heroes and even confronting his own clients if they cross the line.

Although he prefers to work alone, Paladino has been a member of several teams in the Marvel Universe, such as the Thunderbolts during the Dark Reign era, when the group was led by Norman Osborn. He was also part of the Heroes for Hire alongside Misty Knight, the Wolf Pack, and has collaborated with Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, and the Wasp.

In VisionQuest, we see that Paladin is working for a client who wants to capture Vision at all costs. He works alongside an assistant, played by Diane Morgan, who works hacking systems. From the first episodes, it's impossible to know who hired Paladin, and this should be one of the mysteries of the series, which will once again show the city of Madripoor.

Everything you need to know about VisionQuest

VisionQuest, the series dedicated to Vision, will feature only human versions of its robotic characters, including the protagonist played by Paul Bettany and the villain Ultron. The decision was made by the producers to save on visual effects costs.

Terry Matalas, who created the show, also serves as showrunner, producer, and director. Paul Bettany returns as the title character and is joined by returning Marvel actors: James Spader as Ultron and Faran Tahir as Raza. Emily Hampshirewill play the sophisticated artificial intelligence E.D.I.T.H. (Even Dead I'm The Hero), Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) augmented reality security and defense system. T'nia Miller will portray Jocasta, Todd Stashwick will play Paladin, and Orla Brady will be F.R.I.D.A.Y.

The series premieres on October 14 on Disney+ as part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.