A lifelong fan finds his place in the MCU
Scottish actor Ruaridh Mollica has joined Marvel's on-screen universe as Tommy Shepherd in the Disney+ series VisionQuest. For an actor who grew up watching Marvel stories, landing the role feels like a remarkable turn in a career that once took him in a very different direction.
Mollica first acted as a child, then focused on computer science at university and continued into postgraduate study. A short-film role rekindled his interest in acting. His route to VisionQuest began with self-taped auditions for a project whose title and character details were kept under wraps. He learned more only as the casting process progressed.
Making a superhero feel human
Tommy is the son of Wanda Maximoff and Vision, and the character's story explores identity and self-acceptance alongside its science-fiction elements. Mollica says he found his way into the role by bringing more of his own personality to the performance. The production also encouraged him to use his natural Scottish accent.
Although Tommy has super-speed, the show's effects create the impression through techniques including varied filming speeds and edited movement, rather than relying on constant running. Mollica also describes the elaborate practical sets as a way to help performers inhabit the story's world.
Alongside the scale of a Marvel production, Mollica remains drawn to independent films, especially projects shaped by strong writing and close creative collaboration. His path from university studies to a major franchise illustrates how a career can take an unexpected direction; stories that pair spectacle with questions of belonging may continue to make superhero worlds feel personal to new audiences.
