Lauren Morais, who portrays Lisa Molinari in the new Disney+ series VisionQuest, has shared insights into her character's development and her own journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lisa serves as the best friend and confidante to Thomas Shepherd, played by Ruaridh Mollica, a Scottish teen haunted by fragmented memories of a past life.
Morais described her character's relationship with Tommy as essential for his navigation of the surreal circumstances he finds himself in. "I think Tommy’s brilliant, but he does need a Lisa to get him through," Morais told DECIDER. Their connection is established early in the series, beginning with a shared escape from a psychiatric hospital, highlighting Lisa's protective and perceptive nature.
In the comics, Lisa Molinari is known as Coat of Arms, an artist and anti-heroine whose alliances can shift. Morais teased that the Disney+ show brings her character's signature magical "coat" to life, a concept she found particularly exciting. The series also explores themes of identity and survival, with Lisa imparting advice to Tommy about the ability to adapt and redefine oneself to navigate difficult situations. "She finds it very hard to trust people because she’s always in survival mode, so I thought if she can trust Tommy there’s a big connection for Lisa," Morais explained.
Morais underwent training in sleight of hand for her role, preparing for Lisa's kleptomaniac tendencies. She also discussed the technical aspects of bringing Coat of Arms's robot arms to life, noting the use of practical effects and choreography with fight directors. "I also had this cool piece of set on me that had a bit of weight to it because, as you can imagine, if you had robot arms that would be quite heavy," she said.
Notably, Morais is the first Welsh character in the MCU. She shared that she advocated for Lisa to use her native Cardiff accent, a decision supported by the cast and crew, adding local color to the established MCU world. The distinctive reddish-purple hair of Lisa Molinari was also a deliberate choice to reflect the character's bold and adventurous personality.
Morais also spoke about her experience working with Paul Bettany, who plays Vision. She described him as fun and passionate about the character and story, offering her valuable advice on committing to potentially awkward physical performances. "He said to me in regards to the robot stuff and the stunts, 'You’re gonna look stupid and you’re going to feel stupid in front of this huge cast and everyone, but if you commit to it and go for it, it’s going to look absolutely sick in the final product,'" Morais recalled.
When asked about potential fan theories, including those connecting her character to the "Butcher Bird Killer," Morais expressed enthusiasm. "I'm ready for all the theories. I'm ready for them all to begin, and I’m so excited." She also expressed interest in a potential Young Avengers project, seeing it as an opportunity to further explore Lisa's complex nature and her relationship with Tommy.
The first two episodes of VisionQuest are now streaming on Disney+.