Elizabeth Olsen Wants To Do More Than Just Scarlet Witch As MCU Dominance Quickly Declines: “There’s No Longevity In One Character”
John F. Trent
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Actress Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appears to see the writing on the wall for Marvel Studios as she recently shared she wants to play more characters than just Scarlet Witch.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Speaking with The Times (UK) about her acting future, Olsen made it abundantly clear that she wants to take on other acting roles outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
She said, “I’m trying to figure out…Because, specifically in the last four years, my output has been Marvel. I don’t want … it’s not that I don’t want to be associated as just this character, but I really feel like I need to be building other parts back up for balance.”
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Olsen continued, “I so much want to do films right now. And I hope some of them come together in the way I feel like they can. But yeah, that’s something that I need.”
“I just need more, other characters in my life. There’s no longevity in one character,” she asserted.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Olsen elaborated on this idea and tacitly blamed Covid for not allowing her to take on any roles due to her Marvel contract, “And then obviously Covid happened and I had Marvel obligations. Wind River and Ingrid Goes West were films that I was very proud to have selected and they were so different and you can’t compare them.”
“So I just want more of that in my life just because I get satisfaction from the variation,” she concluded.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Olsen’s comments come as The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in significant decline. The James Gunn directed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 while profitable for Marvel Studios failed to top Guardians of the Galaxy’s Vol. 2 box office without even factoring in inflation. The third installment grossed $844.3 million while the second installment raked in $869 million.
The first film, which brought in $770.8 million back in 2014, outperformed the third film when you factor in inflation. If you calculate for inflation it comes to $995.4 million.
(L-R): Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.
While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 might have been profitable for Marvel Studios, the box office grosses clearly declined since the first film. If you look back to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, that film looks to have lost the studio money.
The film only grossed $463.6 million globally. Given it had an estimated production budget of $200 million, the film needed to bring in $500 million. Thus the film likely lost Marvel Studios around $21.8 million.
(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
It’s not just declining at the box office either. On Disney+, the recently released Secret Invasion series had the second worst viewership numbers for a Marvel Studios production on the streaming platform.
Samba TV reported its premiere was only viewed by 994,000 U.S. households in its first five day. The only Marvel series on Disney+ it beat out was Ms. Marvel, which had a premiere of 775,000 U.S. households.
Samba TV reports Secret Invasion premiere viewership
Now, might be the best time for Olsen to slowly exit the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it moves in a downward trajectory.
What do you make of her asserting there is no longevity in one character and wanting to do more outside of Scarlet Witch?
NEXT: Elizabeth Olsen Talks About Her Experiences With Witchcraft: “I Am A Witness To It”