Has Paul Bettany Been Trolling ‘WandaVision’ Viewers With His ‘Extraordinary’ Cameo Tease?

[Spoilers for the new episode of WandaVision]

Paul Bettany caused a stir online earlier this month when he teased that WandaVision will feature a cameo from a top-secret actor. “Truth is, of all of the characters we were trying to keep secret, a lot of them got out through leaks,” he told Esquire. “There is one character that has not been revealed. And it is very exciting. It is an actor I’ve longed to work with all of my life. We have some amazing scenes together and I think the chemistry between us is extraordinary and fireworks on set.” It wasn’t Evan Peters and Fred “Sy Abelman” Melamed doesn’t appear to be coming back, so who could it be? The predictions ranged from Ian McKellen reprising his role as Magneto to Mark Hamill (the actual Mark Hamill, not smooth-faced Mark Hamill) to literally every famous actor alive.

Except one: Paul Bettany.

In the latest episode of WandaVision, “Previously On,” we learn that the Vision we’ve been following, the one living in domestic bliss in New Jersey, isn’t the “real” Vision. He was created by Wanda out of anger and sadness. The real Vision, the one who was killed by Thanos, is in pieces in a S.W.O.R.D. lab. Wanda didn’t steal him, as was originally thought; the footage in episode five was doctored by Director Hayward. But he’s resurrected in the mid-credits scene, now completely devoid of color. (Did anyone else pick up Engineer from Prometheus vibes?) That means there are two Visions on WandaVision: one red, one white — both played by Paul Bettany. Let’s revisit that quote: “It is an actor I’ve longed to work with all of my life. We have some amazing scenes together and I think the chemistry between us is extraordinary and fireworks on set.” It’s totally Bettany talking about himself, havin’ a laugh. What a stinker. I love it.

Other WandaVision viewers seem to think so, as well.

https://twitter.com/positionsfIynn/status/1365226368040988679

https://twitter.com/downeyjessevans/status/1365258925885505538

https://twitter.com/discodjarin/status/1365315447105667074