I’ve been (not so) patiently waiting for VisionQuest since we last left Westview, and I’m so glad it’s finally come to the 2026 TV schedule. One thing I can’t stop thinking about whenever I see Vision in his White Vision appearance is the work that goes into making him look like that. Yes, the Vision makeup is “a pain in the ass,” but Paul Bettany has a great (and sassy) take on it.
The 55 year-old actor has been promoting the new Marvel series, and the topic of makeup came up when he spoke with ComicBook about his BTS experiences. Bettany keeps being drawn back to the MCU, and deaths have not been able to keep his character from returning. In fact, the biggest change for the actor is the makeup. When asked if the maroon or white makeup was easier to remove, his response was classic Bettany:
They're equally tricky to get off, and it's a pain in the ass. But I get paid very well. I hate hearing actors moaning about how hard something was. It's a very uncomfortable costume and makeup that I then get financially remunerated for.
There may be some debate about if Vision is the weakest Avenger, but his makeup is certainly the strongest. Personally, his return has been one of the things I’ve been most excited about with Marvel, and Bettany has already wowed critics with his performance in VisionQuest. In just two episodes, we’ve seen the actor pull back new layers to the character, and that includes his time in Westview (even if he doesn’t want to talk about that). By the looks of the trailer, Bettany certainly had a time going between the white and maroon makeup.
We don’t know who Vision will choose to embrace at the end of the series, and the actor certainly hasn’t helped make that clearer, but we do know we’ll get to see him as different versions. It’s an interesting visual approach to the metaphoric journey of finding oneself as Vision struggles with the age-old question of, “Who am I?” Though for Bettany part of that comes with sitting through extensive makeup, though when the hope of him staying around came up, Bettany doubled down with a classic response:
They can put me in tights and swing me around by my genitals for many years to come.
While I feel for any of the actors who have to strap into a harness to fly, I do love seeing Bettany in his full Vision aesthetic. Besides, we know the star is willing to go all in (or take it all off) for a role. I think we can all agree that we want to see Vision around the MCU for years to come, especially since we have yet to see a full Maximoff family reunion. (At least we’ve gotten an amazing reunion between Ultron and Vision.)
I have wonder if Bettany’s a little jealous of his on-screen family’s lack of makeup. Both Elizabeth Olsen and Joe Locke got to don epic costumes as the Scarlet Witch and Wiccan without the hours in the makeup chair. However, nothing is quite as iconic as Bettany’s cheeky approach, and honestly it makes the character even better.
If a full reunion is in the cards for VisionQuest is anyone’s guess. For now, you can check out Bettany’s different makeup looks with a Disney+ subscription and hopefully get that visual the actor supplied out of your mind.
