When you enslave an entire town for three weeks against their will, the least you can ask for is a little self-reflection.
With the latest release of Marvel’s longest-running superhero soap opera just days away from theaters, many are questioning whether the film will address the villainous actions of one Scarlet Witch.
**Spoilers for those who haven’t finished the Disney+ series Wandavision.**
In the Disney+ series, Wanda Maximoff played by actress Elizabeth Olsen is revealed to have magically enslaved an entire small town in New Jersey following the death of Vision at the hands of Thanos. Wanda traps the town in a 1950s-style television series where she keeps them against their will as she copes with the loss of Vision.
Many viewers criticized the series for sympathizing with Wanda and downplaying the actions of a character that was supposed to be portrayed as a hero.
While on the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of Disney’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Olsen was asked to defend her character’s actions heading into the film and she responded by stating she will take accountability…for herself.
“I remember people saying at the end of WandaVision, she has no accountability. She’s going to take accountability for herself, she’s going to isolate, she’s going to think about it, and she’s going to grow,” Olsen said on the red carpet.
Elizabeth Olsen takes the stand at the #DoctorStrange premiere to defend Wanda after the events of "WandaVision": "She's going to take accountability for herself." https://t.co/x95Vs1PpK7 pic.twitter.com/CTC8W8FUlp
— Variety (@Variety) May 3, 2022
In the trailer for the movie, there is a scene where Wanda questions Doctor Strange by stating that when he breaks the rules, he gets to be the hero, but when she does it, she becomes the villain. Olsen also defended Wanda’s character by pointing the finger at the mistakes Doctor Stranger has made up to this point.
“I mean that is how she feels. He totally screwed up in Avengers (Infinity War). He screwed up with Thanos,” Olsen remarked.
RELATED: New Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Featurette Exposes One Of Kevin Feige’s Biggest Lies
The scene she is referring to is where Strange surrenders the Time Stone to Thanos allowing him to complete his gauntlet and kill Vision. Strange told Tony Stark in the movie that he looked through millions of future outcomes and that surrendering to Thanos was the only way to ensure a future victory for the heroes.
Last year, Olsen responded to criticism stemming from her character’s actions in WandaVision. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Olson stated, “She had to get away before the people who have to hold her accountable got there.”
“And where she went is a place that no one could find her. Because she knows that she is going to be held accountable, and I think she has a tremendous amount of guilt,” she added.
Despite heavy criticism of the character’s actions and her lack of accountability many on social media defend the character claiming she did nothing wrong. Olsen was presented a number of tweets while on the red carpet of what people think of her and Scarlet Witch.
One of them read, “that’s mother right there and if she kills everyone then she had a reason to do it!”
And another stated, “wanda can be the villain all she wants as long as she’s having fun.”
When asked to comment on the Wanda fans, Olsen responded in jest, “I really love being called someone’s mom, you know, that’s like a thing I didn’t know about, but I’m called it a lot. I don’t know at what point this started happening, I would love for someone to teach me the evolution of that phrase,” Olsen stated.
“It’s amazing and it’s hilarious and at least it’s funny. It’s funny stuff,” she concluded.
Elizabeth Olsen had the BEST reaction to Wanda stan tweets: “I really love being called someone’s mom!” #MultiverseOfMadness pic.twitter.com/55AxMyXxgY
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 3, 2022
Disney is looking for some good news to distract audiences away from their public feud with the state of Florida and their falling stock price.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might just be the antidote. The film is currently tracking for a $300 million global opening with $190-$215 million in the United States alone.
What do you think about Scarlett Witch’s character leading into the latest film? Do you think she was justified in taking an entire town hostage?
NEXT: Critic Reviews Roll In For Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Following World Premiere