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Interview with Elizabeth Olsen: «I don’t know what’s next for me after ‘Doctor Strange’.»

6.5.2022

Translation: Katherine Martin

In «Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness», insanity is unleashed. Just in time for the film’s release, Marvel invited me to a roundtable with lead actress Elizabeth Olsen.

She’s the little sister of the Olsen twins, but these days, she’s a big Hollywood name herself: actress Elizabeth Olsen. Eight years after her first appearance in «Age of Ultron», she’s slipping into the role of Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch for the seventh time, this time in «Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness». The 33-year-old, who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in «WandaVision», has since become a Marvel community favourite. In my own review of the film, I wrote:

«Olsen’s acting talent finally gets the appreciation it deserves from Marvel on the big screen.»

Before the film’s release in cinemas on 4 May, Disney and Marvel Studios held a virtual roundtable with the US-American actress. Olsen told the journalists in attendance what scared her most about playing Wanda Maximoff, what she was still discovering about her role and which actress she personally would’ve cast as Wanda Maximoff.

The recording took place on 25 April. And if you read to the end, you could be in with the chance of winning something!

In your first scene in the movie, you say to Dr Strange: «When you break the rules, you’re the hero. When I break them, I become the enemy. That doesn’t seem fair to me.» Is Wanda a victim of sexism?
Elizabeth Olsen: I’d interpret what Wanda says differently. In the past, Wanda has made decisions that a lot of people didn’t agree with. My job as an actress is to create empathy for Wanda so that people can understand her perspective better. You know, we humans often judge someone prematurely and form an opinion without knowing the whole picture. I think that’s what Wanda’s getting at.

In this early scene before Doctor Strange shows up, she’s still grieving, alone and in exile. How important is this timeout for Wanda’s character?
A lot of people feel that Wanda never had to take responsibility for her actions at the end of «WandaVision». I think her loneliness is her way of punishing herself, but also her way of gaining self-acceptance. It’s the first time in a long time that Wanda has a sense of clarity. I like that about her. She has her own strong, independent perspective, even if not everyone agrees with it. And she doesn’t allow herself to be led astray.

What’s the great thing for you about being an actress? The clothes? The fame?
Neither (laughs). What I like most is the experience of working as a group on set. The camaraderie, the problem-solving, the collaboration. And obviously all the relationships I build with the cast and crew over months of working on set. I find it fascinating that so many people are working together to create something bigger than themselves.

Thor has his hammer. Captain America has his shield. You’ve got nothing. Is it ever scary for you to have to just wave your arms and hands around on set and have to imagine everything going on around you?
When I played Wanda in «Age of Ultron» for the first time, it was actually really scary. I mean, I didn’t know at that point how amazing the special effects would make Wanda’s powers look later on. I’ve now just accepted the fact that I run around on set, waving my hands and looking funny. I used to dance a lot, so I think of the hand-waving as a kind of dance routine. I actually learn everything in advance. I never improvise the movements. Quite the opposite, in fact. It scares me to death when someone on set tells me to improvise more [editor’s note: referring to hand gestures] (laughs).

You’ve played Wanda so many times – is there really anything new to discover from the role?
I always ask myself: «What can I as an actor do to avoid repeating myself?» It’s now been eight years since I first played Wanda. I was in my 20s. Now, I’m 33. It’s been a crazy time. So much has happened. I think I’ve grown a lot as a woman and become more mature. That’s exactly what I try to bring to the role. And I think that we actually succeeded in creating the best and most polished version of Wanda. I’m very proud of that. But I don’t know what’s next for me after «Doctor Strange».

Is there someone who’s had a particularly strong influence on the creation of the Wanda Maximoff that we know from the big screen?
Sure. Joss Whedon [editor’s note: director] adapted her character for film for the first time in «Age of Ultron». He’s definitely had the biggest influence on how I play the character. I still clearly remember that Whedon specifically didn’t want to have another superhero that fought with their fists, hammers or shields. He wanted a character whose powers felt more like a dance. Whedon and I had that in common. Oh, and there were was Jac Schaeffer [editor’s note: writer] who took the character to a whole new level in «WandaVision». I’m very grateful for that.

We’ll see Wanda and various versions of her in the multiverse. Is there an actress – apart from you, obviously – who you’d like to see in the multiverse as Wanda?
Oh, that’s a great question! There are a few actresses who come to mind. I’d love to see an older version of Wanda, like Betty White. But let me think about it ... I saw Jodie Comer in a play in London recently – it’s called [Prima Facie] (https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/prima-facie/harold-pinter-theatre/). She was so incredible! I think Jodie would play the role even better than me (laughs).

To mark the release of «Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness», we’re giving away a «Doctor Strange» goody bag. It includes:

1× bag
1× notebook
1× large-sized shirt
1× poster

Competition

What is actress Elizabeth Olsen «scared to death» of?

The competition has ended.

Entries can be submitted until 20 May. The winner will be announced in the comments section.

35 people like this article

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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