Two new episodes of VisionQuest have just landed on Disney Plus as we find out what's next for our favorite dysfunctional family of AIs. Episodes 3 and 4 up the ante in every way as new characters are introduced while Vision, Tommy, and Ultron try and work out their father/son woes.
Alongside the VisionQuest plot moving along nicely, there are loads of little references to the wider world of the MCU as well. These include nods to other major Marvel characters as well as some intriguing comic book details. For all of the big moments that we spotted, read on below for our complete guide (and let us know in the comments if you find any others).
Of course, we will be getting into spoilers from here on out, so make sure you're up to date by checking our VisionQuest release schedule. While you're at it, have a read of our VisionQuest review too for our verdict on the Disney Plus show.
VisionQuest episode 3 Easter eggs
Ten Rings Syndicate: When the Paladin is speaking to his Handler, she asks if she should send a "gift basket to the Ten Rings Syndicate" for providing Adamantium chest armor. The Ten Rings led a cell in the original Iron Man movie as well as featuring heavily in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The Brooklyn job: The rest of the conversation features some other fun Easter eggs. They refer to the "Brooklyn job" which left him pulling "a fistful of shrapnel from that IED out of your gut". This is a reference to a past encounter with The Punisher as he describes it as "just a punishing disagreement with an old friend."
Werewolf By Night: At another point in the conversation, the Handler mentions "the bite marks from that thing half-way between a man and a wolf", to which the Paladin quips he was a "perfectly reasonable fella by day." This is clearly a little nod to Jack Russell, the protagonist of Werewolf by Night, played by Gael Garcia Bernal.
Daredevil: Finally, Hell's Kitchen gets a direct call-out. The Handler reminds him of the concussion he got from a "steel fibre billy club to the noggin," referring to Daredevil's signature weapon. The Paladin replies to this, "If you can’t take the heat, get out of Hell's Kitchen". In the Marvel comics, the Paladin first debuted in the Daredevil comics, and his suit shares many common elements with Charlie Cox's antihero. This all makes these nods especially fun.
Tony's death: F.R.I.D.A.Y. gives us another insight into one of the most heartbreaking moments in the MCU. She references Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame, lamenting that she couldn't save him. "Half the world came back that day, and I lost half of mine," she tells the other AIs. Heartbreaking.
Sitcom callbacks: WandaVision lingers in the background of the entire show. In this episode, we see Tommy and Vision watching sitcoms when they're holed up in their motel room.
Book about the Snap: When Tommy is talking to Vision about Wanda, he says he remembers reading about her in that book about the Snap. He might be referring to Ant-Man's book, 'Look Out for the Little Guy!' which details the blip and the battle against Thanos.
Love persevering: Vision's infamous grief line is starting to feel a bit like Spider-Man's great responsibility dialogue. It's mentioned against in this episode when J.A.R.V.I.S. gets a funeral. "With grief comes something new, an inner fire," the AIs say. Sounds familiar.
Speed: When Tommy saves Vision at the end, he tells him that he has "the very essence of speed," nodding to his powers and his superhero name.
VisionQuest episode 4 Easter eggs
Exorcism: Ultron tries to expel the Butcherbird from the Mind Place with a fun Exorcism nod. "The power of code compels you," he tells her.
Battle of Sokovia: This episode takes place on the anniversary of the Battle of Sokovia. The key conflict from Avengers: Age of Ultron is being discussed on the news in the background of this episode, and is on the front page of Ultron's newspaper. This was Ultron's big fight with the Avengers.
Stark Industries: We find out how Stark had such advanced AI technology in this episode, as it's revealed that the AI company that is being targeted by the Butcherbird sold their technology to Stark.
Edwin Jarvis: We also find out that all of the AIs and their human likenesses are actually based on real people. Jarvis was a character in Agent Carter, where he was the Stark family's butler.
Alison Hogan: We also find out that F.R.I.D.A.Y. is based on Howard Stark's "Girl Friday", who was also known as Alison Hogan. She was the person who "kept his office" and seems like she was a loyal assistant. She's certainly got an interesting surname... We'd bet she's a relation of Tony Stark's beloved head of security, Happy Hogan.
Dr Phineas Horton: We've already had a nod to the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) in the show so far, but now we've had a Phineas Horton name-drop. This character was the creator of Jim Hammond in the Marvel comics.
Markridge Biotech: The name of Dr. Josephine Carrington's former company is a nod to the 12 Monkeys TV show, which prominently featured the 'Markridge Group' – a biotech and defense outfit. VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas previously developed the 12 Monkeys series.
No Strings: When Ultron breaks free and takes over Vision's body at the end, he quips that, "There's no strings on me." This is a reference to Ultron's famous quote taken from Pinocchio in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
VisionQuest is airing now on Disney Plus. For more on the MCU, here are all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.
