Stan Lee Couldn’t Stand This MCU Avenger — All Because of the Color

File this under: comic book legend vs. color wheel. Roy Thomas says Stan Lee loved the idea of The Vision but hated the fact that the synthezoid was bright red. That little tug-of-war over a paint job ended up shaping one of Marvel's most striking looks.

Stan said red was a bad idea. Thomas doubled down anyway.

In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Thomas recalled that while the character worked, Stan could not stand the red. Thomas' logic was simple: so many 'pleasing' superhero colors were already spoken for, so he went bold to make Vision pop on the page. It was a gamble that paid off, both in the comics and eventually on screen.

'Why'd you make him red? Red's not a good color!'

Quick refresher: why Roy Thomas matters

Thomas is one of those foundational Marvel figures who sat alongside Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and just kept building the universe. He was a driving force in the Silver and Bronze Ages, and his creations and co-creations still ripple through the MCU today. If some of the specifics below sound surprisingly modern, that's because Thomas was way ahead of the curve.

• The Vision: Introduced in The Avengers #57. The color debate aside, Thomas' take became the blueprint for the synthezoid we know.
• Ultron: Thomas brought the killer A.I. to life on the page; the MCU made him the big bad in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
• Captain Marvel: Debuted as a supporting player and later turned into a pillar character in Marvel lore.
• Iron Fist: Co-created with Gil Kane in Marvel Premiere #15 (1974), pulling from the kung fu craze and the mythology of K'un-Lun's champion. With Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 on the way, chatter about Danny Rand re-entering the MCU has heated up again.
• World-building and supporting icons: Thomas helped shape characters across the spectrum, from Valkyrie and Banshee to Red Guardian, Hela, and Odin, via stories, lore, and development that still gets mined today.

Vision sitting out the Phase Six finale might actually be good for him

A recent cast announcement trailer for Avengers: Doomsday did not include Paul Bettany, which raised eyebrows. Honestly, that could be a win for Vision as a character. Instead of getting drowned out by a wall of A-listers, he can go do the thoughtful, slightly melancholic thing he does best in his own story.

Enter VisionQuest on Disney+. The word around the series is that it leans into A.I. and identity: think MCU systems like E.D.I.T.H. and F.R.I.D.A.Y. reimagined as humans, plus James Spader reportedly returning as Ultron in human form. White Vision (the one rebuilt without his memories) would cross paths with him while trying to figure out who he is now. If the show follows through on that premise, it has a shot at the kind of rich, character-first storytelling the MCU has drifted away from lately.

So what is Avengers: Doomsday, exactly?

Per that same trailer, this is being positioned as the big Phase Six capper, with the Russo Brothers directing and a lineup that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Paul Rudd, and Anthony Mackie. It's targeting a December 18, 2026 release. If that roster holds, you can see why Vision might get lost in the shuffle. Better to let Bettany cook in VisionQuest and then bring him back when it really matters.

WandaVision is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S., if you want to revisit where White Vision began.