Paul Bettany Popped 10 Blood Vessels in His Eye Filming 'VisionQuest'

Paul Bettany burst 10 blood vessels in one eye while filming a scene for "VisionQuest," the actor told Jimmy Kimmel — and the injury stayed visible on camera for two weeks.

"I was pretending to have a device on my head that is doing something to my brain, and I was just wildly overacting, and I blew out about 10 blood vessels in my eye," Bettany said during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." "It was a lesson in less is more."

He laughed as he said it, but the production consequences were real. Kimmel showed the studio audience a photograph of Bettany's blood-filled eyeball, and the actor explained that the damage did not clear quickly. His eye stayed that way for two weeks, and the "VisionQuest" team had to "take it out" of the final shots — meaning the injury, and the performance that caused it, will not appear on screen.

What does the injury mean for the show?

In practice, nothing the audience will notice. The eight-episode series debuted on Disney+ on October 14 as planned, with Bettany starring as the android and former Avenger he has played across much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Bettany found a joke in the situation. "The irony is the actor playing Vision is kind of myopic, you know," he said. "Can't see a thing when I take my glasses off, which is great, depending on the actor."

"VisionQuest" is Marvel's long-awaited spinoff of "WandaVision," and it marks Bettany's return to the MCU. His history with the franchise runs deep:

• He first appeared, voice only, as J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI that controls Tony Stark's armor, in the first "Iron Man" film
• He took physical form as Vision in "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
• He returned in "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War"
• "WandaVision" gave the character his own storyline, which "VisionQuest" now extends

The new series also brings back James Spader as Ultron, the villain he played in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." The cast additionally includes Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, James D'Arcy, Orla Brady, Emily Hampshire and Ruaridh Mollica.

The anecdote is a small, physical demonstration of an old acting problem: how hard an actor should push a scene in which nothing visible is actually happening. Bettany was straining against an imaginary device strapped to his head. The strain showed — just not in the way anyone intended, and VFX cleanup removed the evidence.

Whether the story affects how viewers watch the series is doubtful; the phrase "less is more" is Bettany's own verdict on the incident. The actor's eyeball has recovered, the show is streaming, and the eight episodes of "VisionQuest" are now available on Disney+.