10 Shows Like ‘VisionQuest’ You Should Watch Next
Following the events of WandaVision (and, more tangentially, Agatha’s Always There ), VisionQuest returns to the story of Marvel’s favorite synthetic being—an artificial creation that fights supervillains and contemplates the nature of its own existence, rather than engaging in more typical AI tasks like creating deepfakes.
White Vision (the character, not the political agenda) is a replica of the Vision who died two Avengers films ago. He lives in his imagination on a fantasy country estate, hiding from bounty hunters and pursuing his semi-fictional son. In that spirit, here are 10 more sci-fi shows featuring artificial people and/or carefully constructed realities.
People (2015–2018)
In a near-future world, high-tech “synthetics” are commonplace, performing jobs that ordinary people wouldn’t want to do. These beings are treated as a completely expendable source of cheap labor, despite their seemingly nascent humanity. Season one introduces the Hawkins family, who purchase (at a discount) a synthetic servant named Anita (Gemma Chan); mother Laura is a bit unsettled by this state of affairs, especially when she catches her husband having sex with Anita, who, incidentally, also has a complicated history. Humans explores the ways in which people constantly find excuses to dehumanize others, and it’s something science fiction excels at. Watch Humans on Peacock , Prime Video , and Tubi .
Murderbot (2025 – )
One of the smartest TV series in recent memory, this dark comedy based on Martha Wells’s Hugo Award-winning book series stars Alexander Skarsgård as a hilariously unflappable robot, a private “security device” who has managed to hack his own programming and gain free will, which he mostly wants to use to binge-watch his favorite TV shows. He can’t simply escape for fear of attracting attention, but the self-proclaimed “Killerbot” (ironically, in a way) is content to do the bare minimum when he’s assigned to a team of naive hippie researchers who see no need for a killer robot—at least until they find themselves embroiled in a complex capitalist conspiracy in which they’re all just cogs. Watch Killerbot on Apple TV .
Demask (2025)
From playwright Terrance Arvell Chisholm ( author of “In the Hood: Or, Being Black for Dummies “), this series stars Okieriete Onaodowan as the title character, an inhabitant of an alternate present who turns 33 and seeks therapy for the first time. He’s offered DIRT (digital immersive therapy), which allows him to visit and see other versions of himself if he doesn’t interfere. Which, of course, he does, with results that are sometimes touching and sometimes hilarious. It’s hard to believe this witty series almost ended up in the trash, a victim of that silly moment a couple of years ago when streaming services and studios shelved excellent projects for tax reasons. There are no robots here, but a man exploring the complex world inside his own head. Watch “Demask” on Tubi.
Alice in Borderland (2020–)
In this dark and dangerous vision of a virtual world, video game-obsessed Arisu gets his wish, in a sense: he and a couple of friends find themselves transported to an alternate, eerily abandoned version of Tokyo—the Border Zone of the title—vividly recreated with skillful green screen work. The three are directed to an arena and given instructions for a game, which they will play whether they want to or not. The first competition involves a locked-room puzzle; if they fail, the room will catch fire with them—imagine Ready Player One , but with more deadly stakes. Games are held every evening, though the rules allow winners to take time off. There are actually many rules, but the games are skillfully and sadistically constructed.Watch Alice in the Border Zone on Netflix .
Legion (2017–2019)
Although technically an X-Men spinoff, this phantasmagorical series from Noah Hawley ( Fargo, Alien: Earth ) stands alone, set largely within the mind of a deeply troubled man. Dan Stevens plays David Haller, diagnosed with schizophrenia and possessing incredible psychic abilities. In one of the many mental hospitals where he’s been committed, he meets first the uninhibited Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and then Syd (Rachel Keller), who can switch bodies with anyone she touches. Shifting between hallucinogenic astral planes and a deeply damaged psyche, David soon realizes he’s not crazy—and that he’s probably not the hero of this story, even as he finds himself caught between authorities who would exploit his power and the Shadow King, who has haunted his mind since childhood. Watch Legion on Hulu .
Mrs. Davis (2023)
It’s a sci-fi comedy with action elements about a nun married to the real Jesus who embarks on a quest for the Holy Grail with her ex-boyfriend to save the world from the titular artificial intelligence. Yes, there’s a lot going on in Mrs. Davis —sometimes too much—but the show deserves high marks for its ambition. Betty Gilpin, as Sister Simone, keeps things under control, demonstrating a no-nonsense approach to this incredibly hyperbolic world. It’s refreshing to see a show so unafraid to experiment, and it succeeds far more often than it should. Although canceled after one season, it ends quite well and, like HBO’s Watchmen from co-creator Damon Lindelof, probably would have been better off as a one-season series. Watch Mrs. Davis on Peacock.
Loading (2020–2025)
A charming comedy-drama set in a sci-fi world. Robbie Amell plays Nathan Brown, a young programmer who recently passed away. In the year 2033, people have the opportunity to upload their consciousnesses into virtual worlds after death, and Nathan is chosen by his wealthy and rather jealous girlfriend. The exclusive afterlife in Lakeview is stifling, as is the fact that this same girlfriend has a say in his eternal existence. He is on the brink of despair until he befriends Nora (Andi Allo), his living customer service representative. Watch “Upload” on Prime Video and Hulu .
Person of Interest (2011–2016)
Imagine Minority Report , but with artificial intelligence instead of three naked, hairless psychics in a bathtub. Michael Emerson plays Harold Finch, a reclusive billionaire who designs and programs a system (simply called “The Machine”) that gathers enough information from global sources to predict terrorist attacks and identify potential criminals (the show begs the question: what if the richest man in the world weren’t completely useless?). While on the surface it’s the typical CBS cop show your parents love, the show (from Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan) asks some pretty smart questions about free will and privacy, even as it generally leans toward the “safety over freedom” argument. It’s not a superhero series, but like VisionQuest , it imagines a world in which crime-fighting AI could be used more effectively than spying on protesters and stalking exes . Watch Person of Interest on Prime Video and Peacock .
Westworld (2016–2022)
It’s hard to recommend, given that the show experienced a decline over its four seasons, followed by its cancellation just when it was truly great again—but when Westworld was at its peak (like in its gripping first season), there was nothing else on television like it. Initially set in a high-tech amusement park in the near future designed to attract wealthy patrons, the series follows the lifelike androids created to serve the guests as they gradually come to terms with their disposability. In the best sci-fi tradition, the series is less about artificial intelligence than about a world of disposable beings existing solely at the whim and amusement of the super-rich. Which, of course, isn’t 100% accurate. Buy Westworld on Prime Video.
WandaVision (2021)
You’ve probably already seen this episode if you watch VisionQuest , but it’s worth mentioning not only as a pretty important introduction, but also as one of the best (and most distinctive) moments in Marvel history… ever? ( Agatha All Along is also a great episode, but less crucial to Vision’s narrative.) At least initially, WandaVision was confusing for both die-hard Marvel fans and newcomers, making it a unique introduction to the universe, even if it has plenty of connections to the wider superhero universe. The story of a grieving witch living out her sitcom fantasies is a spectacularly surreal twist, worth watching if you’re up for a strange and surprisingly emotional journey. Watch WandaVision on Disney+ .