Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe got an opportunity this year to be at the mainstream center of the shared franchise, as she headlined a Disney+ original that explored her character’s past and her potential future in-depth.
WandaVisionwas first announced in 2019 at San Diego Comic Con, where Kevin Feige confirmed Olsen and co-star Paul Bettany would lead their own MCU series, which would further tie up with future films, beginning a new experiment in the Marvel universe, where television material and films will directly connect with each other’s stories and parallels, thus, expanding the vastness of this cinematic saga.
Keeping the same approach in mind, Elizabeth Olsen was confirmed to star alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in MCU Phase Four film,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a film, which will directly tie-up with Olsen’s show. Though the two MCU entries would release more than a year apart, Olsen has confirmed that she was already aware of her role and complete story of theDoctor Strangesequel before she wrapped filmingWandaVision; however, she wished she could’ve known those details sooner.
When asked on how familiarElizabeth Olsenhas become with the arc her character is taking in nearing MCU future onTHR’s Awards Chatterpodcast, Olsen said this.
“I really wish that there was a plan that someone shared with me a little sooner [laughs]. I found out about Doctor Strange 2 and what the story was before we went for the last 8 weeks of filmingWandaVisionduring the pandemic. I found out in, like, August, and then Iwrapped WandaVisionon a Wednesday and went to England [on] Friday.”
While Olsen got hold of her role inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it was already a year since she was signed for the film. Technically, she should’ve received the script pretty earlier, but the production halts and shutdowns enforced during the pandemic led to a delay in script completion; and a fast-tracked production on bothWandaVisionandDoctor Strange 2after lockdowns and travel restrictions were lifted across the world.
Nevertheless, Olsen is one of the lucky ones among MCU co-actors as she did get to read a script weeks before she went on set.Marvel Studioshas gotten really good at keeping things under wraps even from their film’s stars. Recently Tom Holland revealed how Marvel was providing him with only enough material at a time forSpider-Man: No Way Homeand that he had no idea what he was shooting during some scenes. Well, that’s Holland who’s infamous for exposing crucial plot details of Marvel films since Spider-Man was brought back home and integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, Olsen getting her script before filming even began seems like a Marvel privilege.
Elizabeth Olsen made her MCU debut inAvengers: Age of Ultron, where she officially joined the eponymous team of superheroes. Earlier, she had an uncredited cameo in the post-credits scene ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. But, it was not untilWandaVisionwe got to know her better and delve deeper into her past and her character’s inception within the MCU. The show’s culmination has put her character into a whole different space, and may be slightly lost between her grief and newfound truth about herself. Though plot ofDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnessis not officially revealed yet, Benedict Cumberbatch’s appearance inSpider-Man: No Way Homemight shed some light or give possible hints to the overall story.
The film will also tie up with upcoming seriesLoki. So, it will be interesting to see how Olsen’s Scarlet Witch will fit into the entire plot and what possibilities it will open up for the future of these characters. Benedict Cumberbatch was once considered to appear inWandaVisionas well, but the idea was eventually dropped.
When Kevin Feige announcedDoctor Strange 2first time, he mentioned that it’s important that a witch accompany a wizard, before announcing Olsen’s casting So, we can expect some interesting interactions between Strange and Maximoff, especially when now, both these magic experts are at equal strength. InWandaVisionAgatha Harkness brought it into light that Scarlet Witch outmatch the Sorcerer Supreme in powers, making the first encounter between the two super beings more enthralling.
The filming onDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnessis wrapped and the film will release on June 26, 2025. Joining Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen are Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Benedict Wong reprising their roles fromDoctor Strange (2016). Also, Xochitl Gomez will join as America Chavez, marking the character’s live-action debut.
