Elizabeth Olsen Says Marvel Broke Her Heart
Elizabeth Olsen has risen in prominence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, but she says it also broke her heart to do so.
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It’s been seven years since Elizabeth Olsen made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Wanda Maximoff. Following her first appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, her character has become an important part of the superhero franchise, with fans applauding her portrayal of the conflicted Scarlet Witch. While she’s currently enjoying the success of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the actress has revealed the true weight of the Darkhold.
Like most actors who’ve signed with Marvel Studios, Elizabeth Olsen has a multi-picture deal that locked her in for several movies. Now, in an interview with The New York Times, the Wind River star admitted that she sometimes felt heartbroken due to the contract. “I started to feel frustrated,” she told the publication. She explained that although she was happy with the job security, she was losing roles that she felt were part of her being. “The further I got away from that, the less I became considered for it,” she added.
Ironically, Elizabeth Olsen took the role of Wanda Maximoff to avoid being an indie film typecast. But the 33-year-old said the decision typecast her as an action star. She was particularly disappointed at having to turn down a role in The Lobster because of her commitments to Marvel. And she knew it would take her on a different career path as an actress. “It [Marvel] took me away from the physical ability to do certain jobs that I thought were more aligned with the things I enjoyed as an audience member,” she added. “And this is me being the most honest.”
Elizabeth Olsen started her career in the indie circuit in films like Liberal Arts and Kill Your Darlings. She told The New York Times that she always knew she wanted to be an actress. But she didn’t want to follow the path of her twin sisters and pursue her career as a child. Instead, she waited and won over audiences at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for her work in Silent House and Martha Marcy May Marlene. When she asked her agent why she wasn’t being booked for larger roles, she was told that people didn’t think she wanted to do them.
Wanting to explore all aspects of Hollywood, Elizabeth Olsen worked her way through the industry, with a role in Godzilla which got Marvel’s attention. Her initial contract included two starring roles and a cameo, which were met with Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain America: Civil War, respectively. She decided to sign a bigger deal with the studio after Kevin Feige talked to her about WandaVision. She told the publication that she felt like the role would have an impactful change on her career by taking cinematic characters to the small screen.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Elizabeth Olsen talked about what it was like to evolve her character over so much time through so many genres.
It’s been a ride that I didn’t expect. I got comfortable just taking up a lane and showing just a couple colors of her and it just helped the story and this film as a whole…And then WandaVision, I got to be all the colors of all the rainbows.
Fans can see Elizabeth Olsen in her most recent Marvel offering, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which is currently in theaters everywhere. She will also star in the upcoming HBO Max miniseries Love and Death. However, there is no release date at this time.
