CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a constantly growing place, and a massive number of heroes have been brought to life in the last decade of filmmaking. One of the Avenger set to have a meaty role in Phase Four is Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, who is starring in both WandaVision and Doctor Strange's sequel. And it turns out that we have Star Wars to thank for Olsen's casting.
Elizabeth Olsen made her MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, as an antagonist who eventually sides with the titular team of heroes. She's since appeared in Captain America: Civil War, as well as the last two Avengers movies. And it turns out that Star Wars inspired Olsen to join a major blockbuster like the MCU. As she recently explained,
It was actually a funny decision I had put out in the world. I talked to my agent, my manager who are like my other mothers. I just love them so much. And I told them, ‘I want to be considered for the projects that I grew up …’ - like, as a kid, looking at Star Wars and I was obsessed with Star Wars. You couldn’t peel me away from Star Wars as a child. And so I was trying to figure out, how do I start putting that out there because I feel like all I’m getting are these really disturbed women in independent films. [Now] it’s just a disturbed woman in a big franchise! They said take meetings with the people who run these companies and so I literally did. I met with Kevin [Feige] and a couple other people that were working there at the time. And then I met with the people who were running Legendary at the time. And there were a few others in different places.
Someone cue the Star Wars theme song, because it looks like the galaxy far, far away inspired Elizabeth Olsen to join a major film franchise. That ultimately led to her joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in a character that continues to heavily factor into the overall franchise's events. And after years of playing Wanda Maximoff, Olsen is finally leading her own project with WandaVision.
Elizabeth Olsen's comments to Collider show how the iconography of movies can truly have an influence on audiences. For Olsen specifically, her love for Star Wars inspired her to step into very different projects. And while Marvel wasn't the only meeting she took, the fandom is no doubt thrilled that the series of events brought the actress' version of Scarlet Witch to the big screen.
Marvel fans can re-watch Elizabeth Olsen's time in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
In her comments Elizabeth Olsen mentions playing a disturbed woman in the MCU, which is seemingly teasing the character's mysterious arc in WandaVision. The first two episodes were delightful period pieces, but there's a ton of questions about exactly what we're being shown, and what's truly happening with Wanda. The comment might also allude to the dark experiments that eventually gave her powers.
After WandaVision, Elizabeth Olsen will once again reprise her signature role in Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Filming is currently on pause in the U.K., although Olsen has been praising the work of Raimi on the sequel. Fans are eager to see Wanda and Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange together, and there are countless theories about what their big screen adventure might entail.
Some of these fan theories include the possibility of Wanda opening up the multiverse, which is very clearly going to factor into Doctor Strange's sequel. Additionally, some fans are hoping she does something to bring mutants into the MCU, especially with Deadpool confirmed to be entering the shared universe. For now there are more questions than answers, but it's clear that Elizabeth Olsen's signature Avenger isn't going anywhere.
WandaVision is available on Disney+, and the next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.
