Marvel is set to bring back a villain from the inaugural Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Iron Man, in the upcoming series Vision Quest. According to Deadline, Faran Tahir will reprise his role as Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, the leader of an Afghanistan terrorist group who captured Tony Stark in the opening scenes of the 2008 film. This marks his return to the MCU after nearly two decades.
Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar was last seen in the first half-hour of Iron Man, but like Samuel Sterns from The Incredible Hulk who reappeared in Captain America: Brave New World, he is set to make a comeback in Vision Quest. The series follows Paul Bettany's White Vision post-WandaVision events, though no specific release date has been announced.
Faran Tahir in 2008. Image credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.
Originally portrayed as the head of a generic terrorist group, Raza's backstory was later expanded in Phase 4 of the MCU. His group was revealed to be part of the Ten Rings, a connection further explored in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021. This retroactively positions Raza as a commander of the Ten Rings' Afghanistan faction, potentially linking Vision Quest to Shang-Chi through his character.
Similar to how Deadpool & Wolverine delves into the more eccentric parts of the abandoned Fox Marvel universe, Vision Quest might aim to explore forgotten aspects of the official MCU. Additionally, James Spader is rumored to reprise his role as Ultron from Avengers: Age of Ultron, though details about the show remain scarce.
