VisionQuest reunites viewers with Vision (Paul Bettany), the synthezoid first introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, he’s not the only AI from the MCU to reappear in Marvel’s latest television outing.
That’s because VisionQuest boasts a supporting troupe of Stark Industries AI who have popped up throughout the MCU. Within Vision’s simulated mind palace (or mind mansion, really), they manifest as human avatars who help him with everything from basic upkeep to human socialization. From smaller-name robots like Dum-E (Henry Lewis) and U (Jonathan Sayer) to full-on Avengers villains like Ultron (James Spader), here’s your guide to the AI characters of VisionQuest.
D.U.M.-E and U
First introduced: Iron Man
Created together during Tony Stark‘s (Robert Downey Jr.) time at MIT, Dum-E and U are a package deal. They’re a pair of hydraulic arms that helped Tony assemble his Iron Man armors.
Within Vision’s simulation, the pair manifest as handymen, although VisionQuest lists their more official roles onscreen in a series of helpful bullet points. Thanks to these, we learn that Dum-E is a general maintenance AI in charge of limb servo control and fire suppression. Like Dum-E, U is a general maintenance AI, as well as a defragger and video analyzer.
J.A.R.V.I.S.
First introduced: Iron Man
Arguably the most recognizable Stark AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) served as Tony Stark’s AI assistant and was also uploaded into all the Iron Man suits. Ultron almost destroyed him in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Tony uploaded what was left of J.A.R.V.I.S. into a synthetic vibranium body, helping create the Vision we know today. Before playing Vision in his physical form, Bettany lent his voice to J.A.R.V.I.S.
In VisionQuest, James D’Arcy takes over the role of J.A.R.V.I.S. His human avatar is a butler-like figure, which is fitting, given that Tony named him after the Stark butler. On top of housekeeping, J.A.R.V.I.S. is a security AI who also takes care of encryption.
F.R.I.D.A.Y.
First introduced: Avengers: Age of Ultron
With J.A.R.V.I.S. uploaded into Vision, Tony needed a new AI assistant for his Iron Man armor. Enter F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant), who took over J.A.R.V.I.S.’s responsibilities from Avengers: Age of Ultron all the way up to Tony’s death in Avengers: Endgame.
Originally voiced by Kerry Condon, F.R.I.D.A.Y. is played by Orla Brady in VisionQuest. The show presents her as a socialization AI, which basically means she’s Vision’s human interaction coach. She also aids him with humor and tactical ops.
E.D.I.T.H.
First introduced: Spider-Man: Far From Home
After his death, Tony left an augmented reality security and defense system named E.D.I.T.H. (Even Dead, I’m The Hero) to Peter Parker (Tom Holland). E.D.I.T.H. (voiced by Dawn Michelle King) lived in a pair of sunglasses that Peter used, then mistakenly gifted to Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), aka Mysterio. Following Far From Home, E.D.I.T.H. has been offline.
VisionQuest‘s E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire) presents as a major daredevil. As a recreational AI, she tries to understand all the extreme ways humans have fun, leading to some pretty wild stunts. According to the show’s bullet-point list of her roles, she also specializes in game theory and weapons.
Ultron
First introduced: Avengers: Age of Ultron
The biggest, baddest AI in the MCU is none other than Ultron. Tony and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) originally cooked him up as a peacekeeping program, which they then combined with the Mind Stone from Loki‘s scepter. Following his birth, Ultron decided that the greatest threat to the world was humanity, and set in motion a plan to extinguish all of mankind.
Years after the Avengers defeated him in Age of Ultron, Ultron returns as a prisoner inside Vision’s mind, albeit now in human form. Unlike the other AI characters, he doesn’t appear to have a specialized role. As the show describes him, he’s simply an “asshole.”
VisionQuest is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes Wednesdays.
Source: https://mashable.com/entertainment/visionquest-ai-character-guide-jarvis-friday-edith-u-dum-e-ultron
