This story contains spoilers for the season finale of “VisionQuest.”
Reunited at last.
In the season finale of “VisionQuest,” released Tuesday on Disney+, Thomas Shepherd and William Kaplan, a.k.a. twins Tommy and Billy Maximoff, respectively, reconnect for the first time since being magically reincarnated after the events of “WandaVision.”
“It felt very momentous,” Joe Locke, who portrays the magically inclined Billy, says of the family reunion in a recent video call. “Marvel is really good at building things so slowly over time until the fans are like, ‘we need this right now.’ It felt like we were making one of those kinds of scenes.”
The moment was indeed a long time coming. Created by Terry Matalas, “VisionQuest” is the continuation of a story that started with the 2021 series “WandaVision.” The show has followed the synthezoid Vision (Paul Bettany) as he grapples with his identity and understanding of humanity, all while on the run from various threats with his speeder son Tommy in tow. Billy, meanwhile, was last seen setting off on a journey to look for his brother in the 2024 series “Agatha All Along.”
Ruaridh Mollica, who portrays Tommy, admits that he “got a bit emotional” when he watched the final episode for the first time. In addition to their initial reunion, the finale sees the twins team up to save their father’s life. That’s when Vision learns that Billy had also survived the demise of Wanda Maximoff’s magically created reality.
“We have that beautiful hug with Vision,” he says. “There’s this image in the comics, of Wanda hugging us both, and it just reminds me of that moment. It was like a beautiful, momentous, final coming of something that people have been wanting and expecting. I’m so happy that it was able to happen.”
Both actors are relieved that they can finally talk about the secret that they have been keeping for over a year and a half. They had filmed their “VisionQuest” scenes together four months before their run on the West End production of “Clarkston” last year but had to keep it under wraps. The pair, who can now admit they first met over a “boozy brunch” in West London to connect about Mollica’s casting as Tommy, exude brotherly affection as they reminisce about their early conversations and Locke’s prodding about whether Billy would actually appear on the show.
“It was all so new and I had so many questions,” Mollica says. “It was so nice to be able to sit with Joe and get to know what this experience is like. It’s very rare that you get to meet someone who’s already gone through what you’re about to go through.”
While “VisionQuest,” much like the previous installments of the “WandaVision” trilogy, has explored themes around grief, mortality and family, Mollica admits he also loved filming the “epic superhero moments” Marvel is known for.
“I actually live for them,” Mollica says.
“They’re the fun bits,” Locke says. “It’s great to do deep scenes, but you’re doing a Marvel thing because you want to be a cool superhero at the end of the day. Like, I want to fly. I want to shoot lasers. I want to run really fast.”
“You just said that as if my superpower is way worse than yours,” Mollica interjects.
“I think we both know that that’s the truth,” Locke responds.
“I don’t know about that,” Mollica says.
In a conversation edited for length and clarity, Mollica and Locke discuss “VisionQuest,” Tommy and Billy’s reunion and their hopes for their characters’ futures.
What was it like to finally get that script and step into that dream-like space where the reunion happens?
Mollica: It was cool. Terry likes to rehearse in the space, which is really important, I think. But we stepped into this room that was all completely candlelit with real practical candles, and it was quite surreal because it very much was like Billy’s domain. It was so cool and witchy and hexy and it was just fun. And then we just kind of got to play with it for a while.
Locke: One thing I really remember from that day is that, like, what is in the finished piece, I think 40% of that was in the script and the rest was just us and Terry just throwing things at each other and having fun with it. It was such a fun day.
Mollica: I hope they release some of the stuff that didn’t make the cut because we said some funny things when we were meeting for the first time. There was a whole bit where originally you’d used the bones of our family dog from “Wandavision” to find me. We had this moment of looking down and going, “Is that Sparky?”
We see Billy’s reaction to learning that Tommy is Scottish now. I’m curious about your reaction, Joe, when you found out Ruaridh got to keep his accent.
Locke: It’s funny because I saw a TikTok yesterday that was like “Take a shot every time Joe Locke’s accent slips in ‘Agatha All Along,’” which made me laugh a lot. Fair enough, it’s quite bad, but it’s been three years! Give me a break guys. So when I found out that Ruaridh could use his accent, I was jealous. But it’s also great having a Scottish Marvel character. How cool is that?
Ruaridh, in one of the earlier episodes this season you also get to speak a little bit of Italian. What was it like for you to be able to bring these aspects of yourself into a role like Tommy?
Mollica: That was the coolest part that I didn’t expect when joining the MCU. The creativity around your character and how much they want to bring you into the character. It was the first time I’d had full-on discussions around costume, around what you wanted and how you want to feel. You were allowed to bring ideas to the table before you even shot. It’s a privilege I’d never had before. Then they kept asking about my Italian. I was like, “Why? Why do they keep asking about my Italian? This is getting really weird.” And then, they wrote a whole scene where we’re speaking Italian because they needed a way to get into this gala. I felt very seen by the writers and the creative team. It was really great.
Joe, in the reunion scene, we see Billy speaking to someone off camera. Can you tell us who that was? Was that something in the script or was it one of the things that came from playing that day?
Locke: I don’t know if there’s an official answer. I always assumed that he’s talking to Agatha. That’s how I played it. I was talking to Agatha. In the same way of Agatha being Billy’s mentor and is probably being like “oh, you could try this, you could do that” and he’s like “oh, remember, I’m really bad at that.” That’s definitely how I played it. In the script I think it just said “a voice,” like he’s talking off to someone.
There’s so much happening in your later scene together. Trying to save Vision’s life but it’s also the first time Tommy and Billy and Vision are finally in the same place together. Can you talk a little bit about that day?
Locke: I came in for my two days and I got to feel a bit like an insider outsider of the thing. To see all the cast together was so cool and you guys have such amazing chemistry. It was such a nice vibe on set. I think sometimes when you come into things, it can be a bit overwhelming, but it was so lovely. And to know we were filming a scene that the fans have been wanting for so long — I found it quite emotional, the reunion. It’s got so much weight to it, that scene. When Paul says “my boys,” it’s so gorgeous. And it felt like that when we were filming it. That was your last day, wasn’t it, Ruaridh?
Mollica: Yeah. I was just thinking that even though it was the joining of all of our characters together, and that big climax of the whole show and our whole characters’ lives in the “WandaVision” trilogy, we both wrapped on that day, and it was really emotional. It was nice that all those feelings existed when we were shooting that scene. I think that makes it feel more emotional and special in the moment because we actually were just feeling such a variety of things that day.
Ruaridh, how did you see Tommy’s arc this season? What was this journey for the character, for you?
Mollica: It’s really just a journey of self-acceptance. I deeply believe that as people and humans, the biggest superpower is to be seen. I think that’s all we want and yearn for in life. That’s the journey that Tommy is going on. He has that a bit with Lisa, but he just wants his parents. He wants his father and he wants his mother and his family — especially when he realizes and starts to accept who he is. That’s a really emotional journey for him. I think that slow battle of trying to accept that truth, but also rejecting it because it’s so absurd, and also being so afraid of being vulnerable with someone for the first time is the journey he’s going on.
I’m curious how you internalized the Tommy Maximoff and Thomas Shepard aspects or the different identities. How do you see them making up the whole of your character?
Mollica: The hardest parts to shoot were definitely the beginning of the show because you are really battling two identities. I actually ended up printing out all these pictures. I printed out two brains and stuck them on my wall. On one side I printed out all the stills of me and Billy and Wanda in “WandaVision” and the actual memories that I would have had. Then, on the other side, I had pictures from the comics of Thomas Shepard, and also characters that he reminded me of. I had Robin Williams up there, and a lot of “Good Will Hunting.” And then, in the middle, because I had to be so afraid of Vision the first time I see him, I found this picture of the Vision and I turned the contrast all the way up and made him look like the scary devil. I wrote above Paul’s head, “Devil, devil, devil!” Every day I would look at it. I think I only told Paul about that a few weeks ago.
Things were a little bit different with Billy, but how about for you Joe?
Locke: I think it’s slightly different for our characters because it’s canon that Billy doesn’t remember being Billy Maximoff until he figures it out. Whereas, with Tommy, he has these flashbacks to the memories, which I think is because Billy brings back Tommy, so he imbues him with the memories. Billy brings himself back in that weird way, so he has no memories. But when we see Billy at this point in “VisionQuest,” I think he’s gone on that journey already. I think you see him go through that journey in “Agatha.”
Terry always said that we don’t get to see how Billy got to this point in the story, but imagine there’s this whole other show that could be made about how Billy is able to connect with Tommy and find Tommy and look for Tommy. I picture him and Agatha, like, in witch training, and now, by the time we see him, he’s fully formed, in his power, knows what he’s doing with it. I think you see that in the changes in his style and costume, the way he holds himself, and his confidence with his power. Even though they’re twins, it sort of feels like Billy’s a bit of an older brother to Tommy at this point.
Ruaridh, you’ve mentioned appreciating how you were able to bring in aspects of yourself into this role. But what does it mean for you two as young queer actors to be portraying two young queer twins in the MCU?
Mollica: I think it’s so cool that Wanda and Vision’s twins are both queer. Let’s just take a pause for how epic that is. I just think it’s really nice that we’re able to be ourselves when taking over these roles. The MCU is something that feels so big sometimes, and the fact that they’ve not only not overlooked but also sought to find two actors that match the sexual identity of the characters from the comic books, I think is really big of them.
This question is meant to be more in the spirit of manifesting than any actual plans about the future of your characters. How would you like to see things move forward in terms of what’s next for Billy and Tommy together?
Mollica: I think we’d love to do it again.
Locke: I think it would be nice to, if we ever get the opportunity together again, to explore their relationship. I feel like mine and Ruaridh’s relationship is such a fun, great friendship that it would be great to put that onto screen more.
Mollica: Completely agree. And also, it would be cool to find our mum.
Locke: Yeah, that would be cool.
The post ‘VisionQuest’s’ Maximoff twins — Ruaridh Mollica and Joe Locke — on their long-awaited family reunion appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
