How Playing Scarlet Witch Affected Elizabeth Olsen Personally

Elizabeth Olsen, who has recently starred in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has finally opened up about how playing the role of Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff in the MCU affected her on a very personal level.

While appearing in an interview recently with The New York Times, Olsen talked about how her recurring role as Wanda in the MCU started to find herself overlooked for parts in other films.

Here’s what Elizabeth Olsen said:

“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 talked about how she was really scared to attend Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ premiere, thanks to the massive weight of expectation that comes along with a Marvel blockbuster. “This 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.

Olsen has had a really complicated arc with Wanda, but she remains more than open to portraying the Scarlet Witch yet again, as long as one condition of hers 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.”

Screenwriter Michael Waldron Also Talks About Wanda’s Villainous Arc

The screenwriter for Doctor Strange 2, Michael Waldron also discussed Olsen’s arc in the movie, confirming that the creatives behind the movie including director, Sam Raimi had always intended Wanda to be the movie’s main 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.”

Wanda’s complete descent into villainy in the Doctor Strange sequel is seen as inconsistent by many fans, with her last portrayal of Wanda Maximoff in the WandaVision series. Waldron nevertheless went on to defend the arc of her character, insisting that it’s a natural progression for her. “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 running in cinemas now.

Source: The New York Times