Elizabeth Olsen Balances Blockbusters and Indies: How Marvel Opens Doors for Risky Roles
The Scarlet Witch star reflects on her Marvel journey, indie ambitions, and upcoming projects at Vulture Festival.
Elizabeth Olsen, known for her captivating portrayal of the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), credits the franchise for enabling her to pursue diverse and challenging roles in independent films. Speaking at Vulture Festival, the His Three Daughters actress emphasized how her Marvel appearances have offered her a sense of stability, giving her the freedom to take creative risks.
“Marvel has been such a consistent thing I’ve been able to return to,” Olsen shared. “It’s created—what’s the word?—some feeling of insurance in my life that has given me freedom to choose other jobs.”
Unlike the “one for them, one for me” approach many actors take, Olsen said her choices to return to Marvel projects, including WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, have always been deliberate and character-driven. “It’s not like, ‘Just throw her in something,’” she explained. “It’s always like, ‘We have this idea, and that’s why we want you to come back.’”
Olsen also highlighted the symbiotic relationship between blockbuster franchises and indie cinema, noting how tentpole films like Spider-Man: No Way Home help sustain small theaters, enabling niche films to find an audience. Echoing sentiments shared by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, she remarked, “I do think that’s the relationship.”
Earlier this year, Olsen expressed her willingness to reprise her role as Wanda Maximoff, saying, “It’s a character that I love going back to when there’s a way to use her well.” She added that her initial Marvel projects set a strong foundation for the character, but she remains open to returning only if future stories do her justice.
Olsen’s latest work includes the sci-fi thriller The Assessment, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and was acquired by Prime Video for global distribution (outside Germany). She also provided an update on her upcoming dark comedy Love Child, directed by Todd Solondz and co-starring Charles Melton.
“I’ve never hustled more for a movie that’s having a hard time being made,” Olsen revealed, calling attention to the challenges of funding the project. “If you guys want to make a big, bold notice that says, ‘Todd Solondz needs money to make a movie,’ that would be great.”
With her career bridging both mainstream and indie spheres, Olsen continues to push boundaries while staying true to her artistic instincts.
