It’s not uncommon for actors to not consume the art they’re a part of, and similar was the case for Paul Bettany, especially during his initial years with Marvel. The actor, who gained recognition in the 2000s following the success of films, including A Knight’s Tale and A Beautiful Mind, has become notable for playing Vision in the MCU.
However, prior to playing Vision in Avengers: The Age of Ultron, Bettany was completely unaware of the larger MCU, despite voicing Tony Stark’s J.A.R.V.I.S.
MCU Wasn’t His Thing Said Paul Bettany
The early 2010s saw Paul Bettany struggling to land major gigs in Hollywood, as the actor revealed that he even missed out on Tom Hooper’s drama The King’s Speech. When asked by The Guardian that he still had Iron Man 3 to fall back on, referring to his role as J.A.R.V.I.S., the actor clarified that he had yet to watch any of the MCU entries.
However, he had no guilt for not consuming Marvel, as he reasoned that it’s not unusual for actors to miss out on some of their works.
He said:
I have not seen Iron Man 3. I might see it with my kids. But honestly, that’s really normal. Lots of actors won’t have seen every single film they have acted in.
In another interview with Digitial Spy, Bettany expanded on the subject, stressing “It’s not because of any snobbishness, it’s just not my thing”. Moreover, considering his stint was limited to voicing Tony Stark’s AI, he didn’t even receive the film’s full script, which didn’t exactly help elevate his interest in the property.
Paul Bettany Felt like a Pirate for Playing J.A.R.V.I.S.
Although he wasn’t sorry about not watching the Marvel flicks, Paul Bettany did feel guilty over his tenure in the MCU as J.A.R.V.I.S., as it didn’t require him to do anything special. While acting can be at least exhausting, the actor felt like a pirate for earning the paycheck for only recording some lines in the booth for two hours.
I feel like a pirate. This is robbery. I walk in, I say some lines on a piece of paper for two hours, and then they give me a bag of money and I leave and I go about my day. I sort of feel guilty, because at least acting can be exhausting, with long hours… but I do nothing! And I’ve never seen one of them.
But it has been a long time since, as Bettany is no longer limited to recording some lines in the post, as Age of Ultron saw him in full action as Vision, who is now receiving his own show.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is available to stream on Disney Plus.
