Elizabeth Olsen Reveals the Pressure to Prove Her Personal Film Taste Beyond Marvel

Elizabeth Olsen, best known for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), recently opened up about how her personal film preferences differ from her blockbuster roles. In an interview on NPR’s Wild Card podcast, Olsen spoke candidly about the creative pressure she feels after spending nearly a decade as the Scarlet Witch.

“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,” Olsen explained. She added that when it comes to her personal taste in films and literature, she still feels the need to demonstrate her artistic sensibilities—particularly in professional settings.

Although Olsen has expressed pride in her Marvel work, she admitted that superhero films aren’t the type of art she typically consumes. “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,” she said.

Olsen debuted as Wanda Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), going on to appear in several Marvel blockbusters, including Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her performance in the hit Disney+ series WandaVision earned her an Emmy nomination, further cementing her place as a key figure in the MCU.

Still, Olsen noted that the narrative around Marvel films has shifted in recent years. “Within the last 10 years, it’s taken on this narrative of like, it’s a hot take whether an actor says they would never do a Marvel movie or not,” she observed. Despite this, she remains proud of the MCU’s ability to present grand, mythological stories that reflect politics and culture, likening them to “great Greek-type scale stories.”

While Olsen is open to reprising her role as the Scarlet Witch under the right circumstances, she confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter in March that she won’t appear in the Russo brothers’ upcoming Avengers films, Doomsday and Secret Wars. For now, she continues to explore roles that align more closely with her artistic interests, allowing audiences to see a broader range of her talents.