Elizabeth Olsen’s Marvel Fate Finally Confirmed
After more than 18 months of waiting, Marvel has finally revealed the truth about Wanda Maximoff’s fate. The character, who served as the primary antagonist in last year’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, concludes her screen time in the film by destroying the entirety of Mount Wundagore, with a mountain of rubble landing directly on her. Per a new book penned by Amy Ratcliffe, Anthony Breznican, and Rebecca Theodore-Vachon titled Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline, Wanda did in fact perish in the thrilling climax of the film, effectively ending Elizabeth Olsen’s tenure with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Elizabeth Olsen’s time with Marvel came to an end with Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, according to the book, Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline.
Fans have spent the year and a half since the release of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness arguing about Elizabeth Olsen’s Marvel character, with many questioning whether she had truly died in the destruction of the ancestral witchcraft stronghold. Since Marvel has a known penchant for surprising fans with returning characters long thought to be deceased, many audience members assumed the choice not to show Wanda’s mangled corpse implied that she had somehow escaped the wreckage and that she would appear again in the future of the franchise.
Of course, her character’s death doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll never see Elizabeth Olsen in a Marvel film again; as Kevin Feige has noted, anything is possible in the multiverse.
Even Marvel head Kevin Feige expressed during a discussion with the press that he didn’t know the true outcome of the film, citing an apparent shot of a dark red flash which can be seen just before the Darkhold Castle crumbled into a dust heap. This ambiguity could have been put in the film as an intentional method of keeping Elizabeth Olsen’s future with Marvel under wraps, as the studio has seen a great deal of restructuring in the last several years. Some performers, such as Jonathan Majors, have come under fire for extracurricular legal battles that leave their future with the cinematic universe in jeopardy, while other stars, such as Charlize Theron, have expressed interest in returning to the franchise and have yet to receive a call.
Regardless, Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline confirms that the Scarlet Witch we all know and love has perished, stating, “Wanda Maximoff of Universe-616 surrenders: She destroys Wundagore-and collapses it upon herself–ending two great threats to all of the Multiverse.” Besides the paragraph, which confirms Elizabeth Olsen’s beloved Marvel character has gone the way of the dodo bird, an image designating a major character’s death can be seen, cataloging the last known appearance of Wanda Maximoff.
…Marvel head Kevin Feige expressed during a discussion with the press that he didn’t know the true outcome of the film, citing an apparent shot of a dark red flash which can be seen just before the Darkhold Castle crumbled into a dust heap.
This should come as no major surprise, considering Elizabeth Olsen has been vocal about her post-Marvel career in recent interviews, explaining that she’s quite proud of the work she has done with the franchise. Since her final appearance in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, Olsen has appeared in leading roles in the Max original limited series Love & Death, as well as the Azazel Jacobs-helmed film His Three Daughters.
Of course, her character’s death doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll never see Elizabeth Olsen in a Marvel film again; as Kevin Feige has noted, anything is possible in the multiverse. Either way, the character of Scarlet Witch will surely go down in history as one of the strongest and most compelling Avengers alumni to grace the screen.
