Who Is VisionQuest's Paladin? The New Marvel Villain Explained
What is grief if not spoilers persevering? This article discusses major plot points from Episodes 1 and 2 of "VisionQuest."
You know what they say: Living inside a comforting mindscape of your own digital creation is all fun and games until a heavily-armed SWAT team of unknown origins comes crashing through the windows of your favorite pub, bent on bloodshed and murder. For about half of the "VisionQuest" series premiere, it seems as if we'll be staying firmly in the perspective of Paul Bettany's Vision — either in the confines of his (surprisingly crowded) mind or in his awkward interactions with Edinburgh local Fiona Guthrie (Polly Frame), the closest thing he has to a friend these days. So, naturally, all of that comes crashing down around Vision when a mysterious character sends armed goons after him and puts him on the run.
In Episode 2, titled "Theseus," showrunner Terry Matalas begins to shed some light on this party-crashing mercenary played by "Star Trek: Picard" scene-stealer Todd Stashwick. Meet the Paladin, a minor antagonist taken straight out of the pages of Marvel Comics. Here, he's depicted as a coldblooded hired gun engaged by the mysterious, voice-disguising Client in order to recover Vision — the White Vision from "WandaVision," that is — without actually killing him. All that Vision and his AI pals know is that he's ruthless, his contract is tantamount to a blood oath, and that he's part of an order of mercenaries who have all passed down the Paladin mantle through the decades.
While Paladin is an established character in the Marvel Universe, "VisionQuest" takes some serious liberties with the secondary villain ... and sets up what might be one of the more surprising highlights of the early season, in the process.
Like in Marvel Comics, VisionQuest's Paladin is shrouded in mystery -- but makes a few changes, too
As fun as it would've been for the entirety of "VisionQuest" to unfold within the quirky walls of Vision's self-made digital home, the needs of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe tend to outweigh the needs of any one specific story. Typically, that means fans can expect some long-forgotten, C-tier characters pulled from the deepest recesses of the comic books and suddenly elevated to a position of prominence. And, wouldn't you know it, that's precisely what happens throughout the first two episodes of the newest Disney+ series with Paladin.
But, in this case, it comes with a bit of a twist. Marvel true believers will no doubt remember that the original Paladin (whose real name is Paul Denning) was created as a bit of a cipher. Initially a member of Daredevil's rogues gallery, the mercenary soon transformed into something closer to an antihero. He fought alongside heroes like Matt Murdock and Spider-Man nearly as often as he fought against them, going wherever his next contract would take him. Portrayed as a deadly sharpshooter, an irresistible flirt, and someone with a surprising moral code, Paladin's skills with a weapon are only matched by the mystery surrounding his origins.
This is an aspect that "VisionQuest" both embraces and changes, however. So far, we know very little about who Paladin really is and what his motives might be. But, in a twist, the writers reimagine his chosen moniker as part of an established group of mercenaries — an organization whose reputation as the best of the best precedes them in the criminal underworld. How this affects the arc of his story, intriguingly, remains to be seen.
New episodes of "VisionQuest" stream on Disney+ every Tuesday.