Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Elizabeth Olsen opens up about becoming “frustrated” with the Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch role.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Elizabeth Olsen has described how playing Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe affected her on a personal level.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Olsen opened up about her reaction when her recurring MCU role began to see her overlooked for parts in other movies. “I started to feel frustrated,” she said. “I had this job security but I was losing these pieces that I felt were more part of my being. And the further I got away from that, the less I became considered for it.”
Olsen also revealed that she was scared to attend the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, due to the weight of expectation that comes with headlining a Marvel Studios blockbuster. “This is pressure I’m feeling for the first time,” Olsen explained. “I have a lot of anxiety with Doctor Strange coming out because I’ve never really had to lead a commercial film by myself.” The actor added that she planned to leave the premiere without watching the movie itself.
Despite her complicated relationship with the role, Olsen remains open to playing the Scarlet Witch again, so long as one condition is met.”I think I would [reprise the role],” she said. “But it really needs to be a good story. I think these films are best when it’s not about creating content, but about having a very strong point of view — not because you need to have a three-picture plan.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness screenwriter Michael Waldron recently discussed Olsen’s character arc in the film, confirming that he and director Sam Raimi always intended Scarlet Witch to be the villain. “[T]he foundational building block of starting over was Wanda should be the villain the whole way through,” Waldron said of redrafting the existing script. “This should be a story of Doctor Strange protecting America Chavez from Wanda. So it was there from the very beginning, really, in what is the ultimate version.”
This decision has proven controversial, with some fans describing Wanda’s descent into outright villainy in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as inconsistent with her portrayal in the WandaVision series. Waldron nevertheless defended Scarlet Witch’s character arc in the movie, insisting it’s a natural progression for the character. “My interpretation of WandaVision is that she confronts her grief and she lets go of the people she has under her control, but I don’t think she necessarily resolves her grief in that show, and I don’t think she resolves her anger.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in cinemas now.
Source: The New York Times
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