Vision Quest Will Feature The Astonishing Return Of An Original MCU Villain

Radical Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar officially joins Paul Bettany’s titular character in the upcoming Disney+ limited-series, Vision Quest. Raza originally appeared almost 17 years ago in the must-see Iron Man (2008), which just happens to be the very first installment of the MCU. Sources have also confirmed to Deadline that actor Faran Tahir will once again portray the role of the criminal leader in the WandaVision spinoff. Raza was introduced to the fans as the leader of a terrorist cell of the Ten Rings, and he held a wounded Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) prisoner in a shrouded Afghan cave, which is where the future Avenger developed his trademark Mark I armor.

After Raza kidnapped Tony Stark, it was revealed that Stark Industries’ power-hungry interim CEO, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), had wanted his business partner killed, not captured. As a result of Raza’s short-sighted decision to go off script, in order to further his own nefarious ambitions, he inadvertently gave rise to the birth of Iron Man.

While the plot surrounding Vision Quest remains a mystery at this stage, showrunner Terry Matalas’ series also cast James Spader back in August 2024 to reprise the role of Ultron. Bringing back the artificial intelligence that threatened the Avengers in Age of Ultron (2015) is one thing. However, Raza rejoining the MCU fold requires some serious explanation, particularly if the Disney+ show is set after the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which happened long after the supposed death of Raza.

How Will Raza Return In Vision Quest?

Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar appeared in one of the best MCU films of all time. However, when Obadiah Stane (Bridges) traveled to Afghanistan, he paralyzed Raza in Iron Man with a small device that left the blood veins in his head looking more like thick, purple snakes slithering and swelling under his wounded flesh. Afterwards, Obadiah gave his soldiers the order to wipe out everyone! Gunshots and screams resonated, and it was assumed Raza was killed, but the camera suddenly cut away from the carnage.

So, it’s entirely possible Raza escaped unscathed. In fact, actor Faran Tahir, who will reprise the role in Vision Quest, revealed back in February 2021 that his vengeful character was originally slated to return to the MCU on multiple occasions. That means Raza survived the massacre brought about by Obadiah before the twisted Stark CEO suited up as the Iron Monger. Tahir said in an interview with Forbes:

“So, you don't see me dying on-screen. I'm stunned, and when Jeff Bridges’ character leaves, he says this will wear off in 15-20 minutes. Because there was another option, that he survives. And he becomes part of The Ten Rings and then shows up in the next two or three movies. But then Marvel was bought by Disney, and they wanted to go in a very different direction. And such is life.”

Regardless of how it happens, Raza’s return is officially confirmed. At the time of this writing, though, the Disney+ series has not received an official release date. However, the new Vision show will likely drop in 2026, and it’s exciting to speculate which version of the fan-favorite synthezoid will be appearing on the small screen with costars James Spader and Faran Tahir. Plus, after the extraordinary critical and fan response to WandaVision and Agatha All Along it’s easy to see why Marvel diehards are so rightfully excited for the future.