Exciting news for Marvel fans: a familiar villain from the very first Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Iron Man, is set to make a comeback in the upcoming Vision Quest series. Faran Tahir will reprise his role as Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, the leader of the Afghanistan terrorist group who initially held Tony Stark captive in a cave. This character, last seen in the opening scenes of the 2008 film, will return to the MCU after nearly two decades.
Raza's return follows a similar pattern to other characters like Samuel Sterns from The Incredible Hulk, who is also making a comeback in Captain America: Brave New World. Vision Quest, featuring Paul Bettany as White Vision post-WandaVision, does not have a confirmed release date yet.
Originally portrayed as the head of a generic terrorist group, Raza's backstory was later enriched in Phase 4 of the MCU. His group was revealed to be connected to the Ten Rings, a significant organization in the Marvel universe. This connection was further explored in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021, suggesting that Raza might have been a commander of the Ten Rings' Afghanistan faction. With Shang-Chi leaving room for future developments, Raza's return in Vision Quest could tie into this narrative.
Much like Deadpool & Wolverine delving into the quirky elements of the Fox Marvel universe, Vision Quest might aim to revisit and expand on forgotten aspects of the official MCU. Adding to the intrigue, James Spader is rumored to return as Ultron, marking his first appearance since Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, details about the series remain scarce at this point.
