Note: This story contains spoilers from “VisionQuest” Episode 6.
We’re nearing the end of “VisionQuest,” with Episodes 5 and 6 now streaming on Disney+. With them came a new face in the story, as the hunt for Vision continued — but he’s not actually all that new.
In Episode 6, we find Vision (Paul Bettany) meeting up with Paladin (Todd Stashwick) to negotiate. Soon enough though, their meeting is interrupted by gunfire, and a whole squad of goons. At the head of them is a bald man, who Paladin immediately knows as Raza. And if you’re thinking he looks familiar to you too, you’re correct.
You might remember Raza, played by Faran Tahir, as one of the earliest bad guys introduced in the MCU. He was the leader of the Ten Rings, who held Tony Stark captive in a cave and forced him to build a Jericho missile for the terrorist group. Instead, Tony used the supplies to build his very first Iron Man suit.
When Does 'VisionQuest' Take Place?
Yes, this is the same Ten Rings organization as explained in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” founded by Shang-Chi’s father.
When last we saw Raza, he was being temporarily paralyzed by Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in “Iron Man.” Stane double-crossed Raza after the two worked together to capture Tony Stark, thus revealing Stane’s deception to the audience.
This marks his first appearance in the MCU since that 2008 film. Alongside Bettany, that means that Tahir has technically been the longest-employed actor in the MCU, appearing in both the franchise’s first project and its most recent (until “Avengers: Doomsday,” when Robert Downey Jr. will take back that crown).
You really don’t need to remember much about Raza or his arc in “Iron Man,” because he is not actually the mystery client who hired Paladin. Rather, he’s an extra set of hands hired by said client to help capture Vision.
“VisionQuest” is now streaming on Disney+.
