Fans in Disbelief: Marvel Actor Calls Iconic MCU Role “Not a Successful Choice”
In Hollywood, few franchises carry the weight and influence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). For most actors, the opportunity to join the MCU is seen as a career-defining moment. Starring in the multi-billion-dollar franchise catapults them to global recognition, opens doors to countless opportunities, and cements their place in pop culture history.
However, for Elizabeth Olsen, the actress behind the iconic role of Wanda Maximoff, AKA the Scarlet Witch, her journey through the MCU hasn’t been without its personal challenges and conflicting emotions.
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Since first appearing as Wanda in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Olsen’s journey within the MCU has been both monumental and complicated. The character, who would go on to play a pivotal role in multiple Avengers films and the WandaVision series, has made Olsen a household name.
She’s become an essential figure in the MCU, appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), WandaVision on Disney+, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
Yet, despite the immense success and visibility, Olsen recently shocked fans with candid reflections on her experience with the character that helped define her career.
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In a revealing interview on NPR’s Wild Card With Rachel Martin podcast, Olsen discussed her internal struggle with balancing personal artistic preferences and the type of projects that made her a star.
“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. Especially if it’s a work-type meeting and be able to express my personal taste in films and literature, and so I still think I have that to prove.”
Olsen’s openness about her feelings regarding her Marvel career has left fans questioning whether she regrets her MCU involvement.
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But according to the actress, the situation is more nuanced. “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,” she admitted, revealing the underlying tension between her role as Wanda and her personal preferences for film and storytelling.
In many ways, Olsen’s career in the MCU has been a paradox. On the one hand, it has provided her with a global platform and critical acclaim, but on the other, it has forced her into projects that, while commercially successful, did not align with her personal artistic sensibilities.
The complexity of her feelings about the MCU is further compounded by how the franchise has evolved over time. Olsen reflected on the early days of her involvement, where the films were often described as large, “Greek-type scale stories” that dealt with culture and politics in meaningful ways.
At that time, she felt a deep sense of pride joining the MCU, drawn to the grand, almost mythical quality of its narratives. However, as the years have gone by, Olsen’s perception of the MCU’s direction has shifted. “And then, within the last 10 years, it’s taken on this narrative of like, it’s like a hot take, whether an actor says they want to, they would never do a Marvel movie or not,” she explained, commenting on how the superhero genre became more polarizing and divisive within the industry.
Despite the mixed feelings about her MCU work, Olsen’s career remains undeniably successful, even if she’s now moving in a different direction.
However, she confirmed that she is slowly stepping away from the superhero genre. She recently revealed that she would not be appearing in future Avengers films like Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), signaling that her time in the MCU may be coming to an end.
Still, Olsen will continue to voice Wanda Maximoff in the upcoming animated series Marvel Zombies, set to premiere on October 3, 2025.
What do you think about Elizabeth Olsen’s comments? Should actors be selective about their projects based on their artistic preferences, or is it simply the nature of the business to take on roles that don’t always align with personal taste? And, with her departure from major MCU films, will Scarlet Witch remain a beloved part of the MCU, or will this signify the end of an era for her character? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
