Every comic book fan tends to agree about one thing in theMarvel Cinematic Universe. Ultron deserved better. TheAI-powered supervillainwith a god complex just wasn’t given adequate treatment inAvengers: Age of Ultron. Voiced by actor James Spader, the metallic menace causes a decent amount of chaos for a little over two hours before ultimately being vaporized by Vision with a blast from the mind stone’s power.
While Ultron did display his powers early on in the film by eliminating Jarvis with ease and later on raising the entire city of Novi Grad from the base of the earth, the evil robot bent on bending the world to his will has not been seen since then – except for Disney+’s animated seriesWhat If. But all of that could change very soon. If you were paying attention,a small and often overlooked scene in the same 2015Avengerssequel told audiences how Ultron would inevitably return.
The Iron Man 2 Foreshadowing
Before anybody says this could just be anice Easter eggfor comic book fans, let’s look at another shocking moment from the past where Tony Stark knew what was in store for the MCU long before the audience did. InIron Man 2, when Mr. Stark is summoned to participate in the Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing about his armor, an app icon is seen on his phone screen right next to Shield.
Yep, that’s right – the Illuminati. The same team of cameo characters captured Doctor Strange in 2022’sMultiverse of Madnessabout seven years later. This means that Stark knew of their existence and was in some sort of contact with them years before they were on-screen.This just goes to show that teasers relating to Iron Man have a way of coming true. Now, this inevitably includes thereturn of Ultron.
Iron Man’s Secrets Are Not Buried With Him
During a montage in the movie’s third quarter and with all the Avengers preparing to battle Ultron in Sokovia, Tony Stark is quickly rummaging through user interface cards that he can insert intohis suit of armorwhile Jarvis is unavailable. While he ultimately selects Friday, who becomes a vital part in otherAvengersmovies as well as in Tom Holland’sSpider-Manfilms, there are two other U.I. cards left on the table. T.A.D.A.S.H.I and J.O.C.A.S.T.A.
While Tadashi is just a reference to one of Disney’s most recently released animated films,Big Hero 6(Baymax’s A.I. program is in a chip named after its creator, Tadashi Hamada),the code name Jocasta has a much deeper meaning in the Marvel universe– one that can bringthe fan-favorite villainback – and in a way no one is expecting.
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It all started in a 1977 issue ofThe Avengerswhen Ultron suddenly desires a bride. To accomplish this, he knocks out the entire team except for Ant-Man, who he brings back to his lab. Ultron tells Ant-Man that the Wasp is in terrible condition after a fight (which never happened) and that the only way to save her life essence is by transferring it to a female-shaped metal husk. Considering Ultron has called the Wasp (Ant-Man’s wife) Mom, this is a very Oedipus-complex type of situation. Thanks to Ant-Man’s insect allies who come bearing an SOS message, the Avengerssave the day, and Ultron’s would-be wife named Jocasta (also the name of Oedipus’ wife and mother in Hamlet) aligns with them.
How Jocasta Fits Into Avengers: Secret Wars
While Jocasta is – by technicality – already in the MCU (in the form of a user interface chip card), it is just a matter of time before this embodiment of Ultron comes into a human-esque form. Exhibiting the same powers (but for the good of humanity), she partnered withThe Fantastic Fourto take down another version of the mad robot, took part in thecomic book versionofSecret Invasion,and even became a teacher at the Avengers Academy. Because she is a variation of an already existing character, one has to wonderif she will make her true presence felt in the one Marvel movie where anything can happen –Avengers: Secret Wars.
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Whoever the villain is for the highly anticipated 2027 release – be it The Beyonder or Doctor Doom, Jocasta serves a purpose. Since fans associate Jarvis with Iron Man (and Friday with Spider-Man), Jocasta can be an A.I. assistant – but in an actual living embodiment – forthe new Avengers team. She would share the Jarvis personality while having Ultron’s physical appearance.
Interestingly enough, there is a variant of Jocasta who was the only survivor of a world ravaged by an unstoppable Sersi fromThe Eternals. This storyline would bring momentum back for that underrated team and introduce Jocasta in a way that would make sense – helping Earth 616 before it suffers the same fate. Whatever the case, Iron Man’s legacy lives on due to the secrets he keeps.Avengers: Age of Ultronis streaming onDisney+.
