Elizabeth Olsen was establishing herself as a riveting actress in intimate dramas before she was cast in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Her performance as Scarlet Witch skyrocketed her to global fame, and she has spent the last nine years reprising the character on film and television.
Olsen will be remembered as Scarlet Witch, which may be why her relationship to the character and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole has been complicated. It has given her a massive fanbase, but the writing for the character has sometimes taken her in directions she's been less than pleased with.
Olsen's involvement depends on the story
The actress talked about her feelings on the MCU during a recent interview with the radio station FM104. She was asked point blank whether she'd return to the franchise following the death of her character in Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and she said she would... under the right circumstances.
Olsen asserted that she would only return as Scarlet Witch if she felt the film or show would benefit the character's overall story arc. "I think I have been lucky that when I started I was used well within Age of Ultron," she explained. "And then, I think people didn’t know what to do with me for a second there.”
Olsen seeks to balance blockbusters and dramas
The actress claimed she would be more than happy to put on the maroon costume again should a script maximize her character's dramatic potential:
"If there’s a good way to use her I’m always happy to come back, however they can make that make sense."
Olsen also elaborated on comments that were perceived as slights towards the MCU during the press tour for her miniseries Love & Death in 2023. She told The Times of London that she yearned for new opportunities as an actress, and felt that playing one character for too long was stifling.
She doubled down on this stance during her FM104 interview, while noting that she is still open to taking the character of Scarlet Witch in new and challenging directions. For Olsen, it's all about the balance. Makes sense to us.