Elizabeth Olsen first played Wanda Maximoff in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That was only a post-credits scene cameo, and she took centre stage in Avengers: Age of Ultron the next year.
From there, Olsen has become an MCU mainstay, appearing in both those franchises and as the lead of Disney+'s critically acclaimed WandaVision. The Scarlet Witch was last seen going rogue in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Olsen has never hidden her gratitude for the opportunities Marvel Studios has offered, but we know she's more inclined to star in indie fare. The actress acknowledged that in a recent interview with NPR.
"I think I haven’t always successfully made choices in my work that are aligned with my personal taste and that is something I feel like I’m still trying to prove when I meet people," she said of how her role as Scarlet Witch has changed the way people perceive her. "Especially if it’s a work type meeting and be able to express my personal taste in films and literature, and so I still think I have that to prove."
Olsen continued, "Because I have spent so many years doing Marvel that I feel like all the other jobs I have to do have to really reflect my personal taste because as much as I love being a part of this world - and I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do with the character - it’s not really the art that I consume. Which I have been very honest about."
The Captain America: Civil War star has received plenty of acclaim for her work as Wanda in the MCU, including an Emmy nomination for WandaVision. That's not lost on Olsen, and elsewhere in the interview, she talked about what drew her to Marvel in the first place.
"I thought they were such great Greek-type scale stories that reflected politics, culture in a really lovely way," she recalled. "And so I felt really proud to jump into it. And then, within the last 10 years, it’s taken on this narrative of like, it’s like a hot take, whether an actor says they want to, they would never do a Marvel movie or not."
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' approach to Wanda following her evolution into the Scarlet Witch in WandaVision didn't sit well with many fans. Writer Michael Waldron turned Wanda into a villain and enraged countless fans by seemingly killing the Avenger during the action-packed final act.
Rumours continue to swirl about a potential Scarlet Witch movie, and it's previously been reported that Wanda will make her MCU return in Avengers: Doomsday. Olsen has repeatedly denied that, though we'd imagine the character's return will be handled as a "surprise," seeing as she is meant to be dead.
It's hard to fathom the Scarlet Witch not playing a role in the next Avengers movies, especially as she's immensely powerful and has already torn through the Multiverse. It's been said that Wanda will be aligned with Doctor Doom, with Marvel Studios taking inspiration from the Avengers: The Children's Crusade comic.
You can watch the full interview with Olsen in the player below.