WANDAVISION Star Elizabeth Olsen Explains Why Wanda Maximoff's Sokovian Accent Has Disappeared

WANDAVISION Star Elizabeth Olsen Explains Why Wanda Maximoff's Sokovian Accent Has Disappeared

Wanda Maximoff's Sokovian accent has faded gradually since her introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and actress Elizabeth Olsen has now shared some insight into why it's almost completely gone...

By JoshWilding - Jan 18, 2021 01:01 AM EST
Filed Under: WandaVision
Source: Collider

When we first met the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, they both had strong European accents. That's because the brother and sister superheroes originally hail from the fictional country of Sokovia, but as the years have passed, Wanda Maximoff's accent has faded.

In WandaVision, it's pretty much non-existent, and during a recent interview with Collider, actress Elizabeth Olsen shed some light on how the unique sound for her character was first created. 

"The Sokovia accent was created by me and Aaron and our dialect coach because it’s a fake country and we could find different sources of Slavic sounds," she explains. "And we wanted to make sure it didn’t sound Russian because Black Widow speaks Russian, and so we just needed to sound more like Slovakian. So we created these sound changes that worked for Aaron’s British accent going to Slovakia basically and my American accent so that we sounded related."

As for why it's faded, Olsen hinted that it's still there, but doesn't necessarily fit into WandaVision's unique setting (where Wanda is taking on the role of a classic American sitcom star each week).

"And then all of a sudden, all these different characters had to speak it in different films. So the Sokovian accent took a lot of time. It hasn’t gone anywhere. There have been reasons for everything. It lightened up when she started living in the States, and in WandaVision she is playing the role of being in an American sitcom and so it’s not gone. It is absolutely still there."

We'll see if the accent returns, but it's definitely interesting to get this insight from Olsen. The Scarlet Witch looks set to be a key player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, and it's clear that WandaVision - accent or not - is just the start of bigger things to come for the most powerful Avenger.


Click on the "Next" button below to check out
the Scarlet Witch's best moments in the MCU!

10. Besting Tony Stark

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Like her comic book counterpart, the Scarlet Witch was introduced as a villain. Working for Baron Von Strucker, and desperate for revenge against Tony Stark, Wanda manipulated the Avenger's mind, and caused him to see a vision of what could come to pass if Thanos were to invade Earth. 

It was that which prompted Tony to create Ultron and unleash a threat on the world that very nearly destroyed it.

That makes the Scarlet Witch one of the MCU's most effective villains, and while she would come to regret her actions, this was a devastating, impressive use of her reality-altering abilities long before she mastered them. It also delivered a terrifying glimpse into what was in store for the planet. 
 

9. Defeating Proxima Midnight

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Desperate to protect The Vision from Thanos and his forces, Wanda raced into action in Wakanda to save both Black Widow and Okoye from the formidable Proxima Midnight. 

Using her powers to tear apart the weaponry the Mad Titan's Outriders had unleashed on Black Panther's home, the Scarlet Witch sent Proxima flying into the sky where she was promptly torn into pieces. The Black Order never came across as overly threatening in the MCU, but they were still easily one of the most powerful groups Earth's Mightiest Heroes ever faced. 

That makes this incredible show of power from Wanda all the more memorable, and proves that she can make short work of even the most powerful opponents (more on that later).
 

8. Mourning Quicksilver

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At this point in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda had already proven she was quite the force to be reckoned with. However, it was sensing the death of her brother, Pietro, which led to a true awakening of the Scarlet Witch's abilities. Overcome with grief, she let out a huge, terrifying burst of energy. 

Ultron's robotic army were no match for that, and ended up being completely obliterated in the process. 

Regardless of what Marvel Studios had planned for Wanda at this point, the reveal that she might not know the extent of her powers was intriguing for fans, and a sign of what might be to come. If this is what the Scarlet Witch when she's out of control, just imagine when she masters her powers!
 

7. Happy, At Last

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Despite finding themselves on opposite sides of the conflict in Captain America: Civil War, The Vision and the Scarlet Witch managed to find each other between the events of that movie and Avengers: Infinity War. Hiding their romance from the rest of the Avengers, they embraced their love, and the android was able to become a little more human in the process. 

Of course, their Scottish getaway didn't last long thanks to the intervention of the Black Order! 

That led to another demonstration of Wanda's powers as she rushed into action to protect The Vision, and these scenes were all we really needed to understand how strong their bond had become.
 

6. Defending Hawkeye

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Before finding romance with The Vision, Wanda developed another very important relationship in the MCU. This was more akin to a father/daughter dynamic, though, and it was Hawkeye who convinced Wanda to embrace being a hero...and a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

After spurring her into action in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hawkeye came to rescue Wanda from the New Avengers Facility in Captain America: Civil War. However, he found himself seriously overpowers by the might of The Vision when the two former allies found themselves facing off.

Using her powers to take control of the Mind Stone, and thereby Vision, Wanda completely overpowered the "man" she was developing feelings for in an incredible show of strength. 
 

5. Hulk Out Or Control

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The Hulk is the "Strongest Avenger," and it takes a truly powerful being to take down the Jade Giant.

While the Scarlet Witch has never faced off with Bruce Banner's angry alter-ego, she was able to use her powers to send him completely out of control when they crossed paths in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Completely unhinged and on a rampage, the Hulk tore through South Africa, and ended up squaring off with Iron Man's Hulkbuster armour in a breathtaking, brutal battle. 

This was all down to the Scarlet Witch's machinations, and while Marvel Studios appears to have moved on from her apparent mind-control abilities, they could easily factor into WandaVision.
 

4. Taking Down Iron Man

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Iron Man's actions in Captain America: Civil War were definitely questionable, with his decision to essentially lock the Scarlet Witch inside the New Avengers Facility one of his biggest mistakes.

When the Armoured Avenger confronted Wanda and Hawkeye on the battlefield, Wanda got a taste of revenge when she used her powers to bring car after car down on the hero. Considering the fact Iron Man is so much more experienced than Wanda, her being able to get one over on him like this is most impressive (and very nearly ended up taking him out of the fight altogether).

Oh, and if you were #TeamCap, you'll get why this moment ends up ranking so highly here.
 

3. Vision's Demise

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With Thanos approaching, and time running out, the Scarlet Witch had no other choice than to use her powers to destroy the Mind Stone that gives life to The Vision. 

As heartbreaking as this was for Wanda, not destroying the love of her life would mean Thanos could enact his plan to wipe out half the universe. With that, this hero quite literally obliterated the android, and he was blown into pieces before her eyes. What a choice to have to make, eh? 

Ultimately, Thanos would use the Time Stone to restore The Vision and get the Mind Stone, anyway. That takes absolutely nothing from what Wanda ended up going through here, though.
 

2. Ripping Out Ultron's Heart

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Overcome with grief, the Scarlet Witch set her sights on Ultron, not caring whether she lived or died.

Tearing the heart from the villain's Vibranium body, Wanda appeared to get the last laugh over the android who made use of her and Quicksilver. Of course, he was able to enact his plan to send Sokovia crashing into Earth anyway, and it was then that The Vision swooped in to save his future lover.

This was a great way to put the Scarlet Witch on the map in the MCU, while also showcasing what she might be capable of when pushed. After all, Ultron had proved to be damn near invincible up until this point, but with her powers, the Avenger was able to put a (temporary) end to this villain.
 

1. The MCU's Most Powerful Hero

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Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has said that Wanda Maximoff is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most powerful superhero, and this moment in Avengers: Endgame proves that.

Returned from the dead, the Scarlet Witch immediately sets her sights on the Mad Titan, and easily overpowers him. In fact, it appears as if Wanda will be the one to put a permanent end to the formidable villain, and it's only because he rains fire down on the Avengers - and his army - that he escapes.

It's fascinating to think what might have happened had Wanda not been interrupted, and this was a scene which really emphasised how far the Scarlet Witch's powers had come by now.
 

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tylerzero
tylerzero - 1/18/2021, 1:46 AM


Kumkani
Kumkani - 1/18/2021, 1:48 AM
They never explain it but I don't think they needed too. It's pretty common for foreigners to code-switch when they're away from home. People lose accents too.
Battabing
Battabing - 1/18/2021, 6:45 AM
@Kumkani - They don't lose their accents in two years. My parents have accents and have kept them for decades.
She couldn't keep up the accent, and don't blame Black Widow. She's never had an accent; not even in the Black Widow movie it seems.
Franshu
Franshu - 1/18/2021, 6:59 AM
@Kumkani - Most foreigners never fully lose their accents over a lifetime, though. They improve, but the accent's still there.
aurorsand146
aurorsand146 - 1/18/2021, 7:17 AM
@Battabing - Speaking from personal experience, a lot of immigrants especially if they are young do tend to lose the accent. Well not exactly lose but sound more American to try to fit in. Its hard to explain but I tend to do that too. I guess subconsciously my mind just goes this is how a word is prounounced by an Anerican so try to imitate that. Plus Wanda was specifically trained to hide her accent as well just like she had to dye her hair when they had to hide post CA-Civil War.
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 1/18/2021, 9:20 AM
@Battabing - My dad didn't speak a lick of English when he arrived in the U.S. at age 17, but went straight into the U.S. work force (full-time). By the time he was in his 20s/30s, he had no accent. By contrast, my mom didn't speak English, arrived in the U.S. around same age, had a few part-time jobs in the U.S. then stopped working when she married my dad ... at age 81, she has a heavy, heavy accent that never improved. So, i think it depends on the circumstances.
Battabing
Battabing - 1/18/2021, 1:45 PM
@aurorsand146 - I'm sorry, when was Wanda trained to hide her accent?
aurorsand146
aurorsand146 - 1/18/2021, 4:17 PM
@Battabing - When Cap's team went in hiding after Civil War bc they were considered fugitives, that's why they all looked different in Infinity War. And also bc Joe Russo said "We have intentionally tried to strip that accent away for a couple of reasons. One is, you'll notice at the beginning of [Captain America:] Civil War, that Black Widow is training her how to be a spy. And two, she has now been on the run and one of the most distinguishing characteristics that she has is her accent. So if you're gonna try to disguise yourself, or hide yourself, or not be caught, you're going to try to limit those trigger warnings that would make it easy for someone to identify you, which would be inclusive of her accent."
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 1/18/2021, 1:57 AM
“Basically, because it’s just, look... the thing is. We wanted to maintain an authentic approach, but basically my cast mate who’s my brother is British so we catered to that, but with all intents and purposes we wanted to keep it, but basically I’m not Russian, so it’s still there, she’s just American now. And yeah... so that’s that.”


Basically...
generictheeric
generictheeric - 1/18/2021, 10:41 AM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - Obligatory
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 1/18/2021, 11:01 AM
@generictheeric - watched that the other day ironically, Rockwell’s Hammer is definitely one of the highlights
dracula
dracula - 1/18/2021, 1:57 AM
Wonder if they will bother retconning her and quicksilver back to being Magneto's kids when he shows up in the movies. Would be great if they do, but I guess Magneto does have other kids they can use to tell those stories.
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 1/18/2021, 2:06 AM
@dracula - I think if they do bring Quicksilver back to life in Wanda Vision somehow, and it’s revealed that the scepter did unlock the hidden mutant gene inside them - when the X-Men come around and Magneto more importantly, Wanda and Quicksilver could be Magentos and the X-Men’s way in to adapting them both, perhaps not blood related, but Magneto takes a liking to the twins and tries to manipulate his way into their lives as a Father figure, giving them a sense of belonging.
Deonox
Deonox - 1/18/2021, 7:25 AM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - I think a great way to Bring in mutants is to have it so that the infinity stones accelerated the X-Gene. Like some mutants did exist prior but they were so far and few. Or maybe Strucker's research was based on experiments shield was doing back in the day. But when the snap happened, the people who were brought back had their genes awaken as an evolutionary response. Meaning now there's an influx of mutants everywhere creating an arms race of super humans and public unease
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 1/18/2021, 7:37 AM
@Deonox - yeah I’d rather mutants be a secluded minority that people are scared of, and use real race and minority oppression as a base line to help ground the story.

You could have En Sabah Nur reawaken from the snap, the surge of X-genes. And as the opposite reaction, have Professor X forced to come out of the shadows and use his school as a positive force to recruit those in need, eventually striking up a deal with the government to create the X-Men.
GhostSurfer
GhostSurfer - 1/18/2021, 7:56 AM
@dracula - Make him an absentee father and have it turn out that the kids didn't know the Dad who raised them was their step-dad.

There are ways to do it for sure.
Deonox
Deonox - 1/25/2021, 5:41 PM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - I like where you're going but maybe not Apocalypse for the first villain. They can do something similar to X-men Evolution and have the brotherhood lead by Mystique before introducing Magneto in a sequel
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 1/18/2021, 2:02 AM
"Sokovian accent" discourse has always been silly to me. Not sure how it manages to be a thing every year or so
dracula
dracula - 1/18/2021, 2:07 AM
On Another Topic:

Batwoman aired it season 2 premier

It was better, really most of the episode was just introducing her and quickly wrapping up all the now wasted season 1 plots (sucks but this is a new beginning).

The new lead, seems to have a lot more passion of the role than Ruby Rose did so thats good, although really they could have just made her Stephanie Brown, maybe change the suit colors from red to purple.

Still don't know if it will work, like I said they had to rush through a lot in this episode, so next episode should be a mostly clean slate.

Also hopefully they have some plan for Kate. Ruby wasn't great, but killing her off screen (sort of) is just so cheap, they really couldn't get Ruby Rose for 1 episode, makes you wonder if the her leaving wasn't as willing as we have been led to believe.
Blergh
Blergh - 1/18/2021, 3:00 AM
@dracula - Rose certainly seems to have left on bad terms, I assume she didn't get out of the role what she wanted and saw she would earn more with her movie parts. Thus leaving the role behind to the ire of her co-workers who didn't want her back
Spike101
Spike101 - 1/18/2021, 2:41 AM
Just wait until Michael Fassbender appears, that’ll make a few jaws drop
Polaris
Polaris - 1/18/2021, 3:50 AM
@Spike101 -

Very much doubt it tho
Spike101
Spike101 - 1/18/2021, 7:16 AM
@Polaris - so do I but it would really make me laugh, and smile in a satisfied way at the same time.
RokoVII
RokoVII - 1/18/2021, 2:48 AM
In Civil War it was kinda there but by Infinity War it was gone.
The last time Olsen commented on that it was "she lives in states now and her english/accent improved" which is fine but now saying "its absolutely still there" ummm no.
Besides who cares in the end 🤷‍♀️
Cant wait for ep 3 !!!
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 1/18/2021, 2:49 AM
Good answer actually. At least she thought about it.
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 1/18/2021, 2:51 AM
It’s still there, you hear from time to time, like you would with someone losing an accent.
toylled
toylled - 1/18/2021, 2:56 AM
She is a reality warping witch, and you fanboys get mad about her losing her accent? Maybe she lost it on purpose to fit in with the Americans... she was branded a terrorist on American soil in civil war, just helps her blend in more when she drops it. A non issue and I'm completely fine with it.
Blergh
Blergh - 1/18/2021, 3:01 AM
It's simply a part of the character that hasn't worked but was rectified by the producers. Letting it slip into a bubble of forgetting is fine by me
Shroombeast
Shroombeast - 1/18/2021, 3:07 AM
The North American accent is part of the whole sitcom thing. She'll probably have it when out of the illusion or whatever it is.
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