Elizabeth Olsen's Journey From Celebrity Sister To Scarlet Witch

In recent years, it's hard to deny the power over pop culture that Elizabeth Olsen has. The actress had been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's supporting cast since 2015, but she came into her own with the 2021 Disney+ series "WandaVision," which centered on her character of Wanda Maximoff and became one of the most critically-acclaimed (via Rotten Tomatoes) projects Marvel Studios has backed. For most, however, Olsen's undeniable on-screen talent had been an open secret for years.

Elizabeth Olsen comes from a famous family, which includes two sisters who were the subject of tabloids throughout the 2000s. Thankfully, Olsen has avoided the pressures of nepotism to forge her own career in Hollywood, one that's seen her become somewhat of an indie darling with her work throughout the 2010s. Now in the 2020s, she's one of the biggest stars that Marvel has at their disposal, and her star won't be fading anytime soon.

Olsen wasn't always destined for greatness, contrary to what some might think. Her path to superhero success was hard-won, but she won't be knocked off it anytime soon, thanks to her dedicated fanbase and proven ability to command a screen with vulnerability and grace. To understand how Elizabeth Olsen made the transition from famous sister to one of the most formidable forces in the MCU, you'd have to start where any great origin story does: at the very beginning. 

Thankfully, Elizabeth Olsen didn't have to wait long to get bitten by the acting bug. Soon after "Full House" ended in 1995, her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley transitioned to an extremely successful career acting in various TV shows and movies, often centered around them. One of these early projects was the 1994 TV film "How the West Was Fun," which follows the twins as they are summoned to a dude ranch by their mother's godmother. 

"How the West Was Fun" would also become the first on-screen role for Elizabeth, who was only five years old at the time. The role was a cameo appearance as a girl who gives the twins directions. It was quite an encouraging step for Elizabeth, who would often visit the sets with her brother after school (via SF Gate). By the time Olsen turned eight, she began taking acting classes and attending musical theater camp, though she eventually put it aside to focus on school and her extra-curricular activities. 

While appearing in her sisters' films was enough to drive a young Elizabeth Olsen to want to be an actor, she doesn't have much memory of it, as she told Jimmy Fallon in 2018. However, the spectre of nepotism still hung over her head, making the actor briefly consider going by the stage name "Elizabeth Chase" (Chase being her middle name), before ultimately deciding to not shy away from her family's legacy. 

In 2011, Elizabeth Olsen made her film debut starring in "Martha Marcy May Marlene," a thriller from writer-director Sean Durkin. Olsen stars as the titular Martha, a woman who escapes a cult and starts living with her sister and brother-in-law, who witness her psychological breakdown over the course of several days as a result of the trauma she's suffered. Her co-stars include Sarah Paulson and Hugh Dancy, but Olsen clearly stands out as the film's centerpiece. 

This was quite the fortuitous performance for Olsen, who received quite a large amount of praise from critics. Notable film critic Roger Ebert pointed out Olsen's vulnerability in the role, her natural beauty, and her instinctive acting talents. It appeared as if Olsen's training at NYU and Russia had quickly begun to pay off, even impressing her fellow co-stars. Paulson told The New York Times that when she first met the then 22-year-old Olsen, "I felt like she was more mature and worldly than I am."

The experience was quite a daunting one for Olsen, however. She performed several nude scenes in the film, though she was comforted by the fact that the film's second assistant director, who was female, took over for the first AD during the shooting of those scenes (via MTV). Still, the intense role was a lot for Olsen, though she didn't hold on to many remnants of the character after the production wrapped. 

Elizabeth Olsen's success in indie films continued into the early 2010s, including a nomination at the BAFTAs in 2013 for the EE Rising Star Award, which pitted her against Andrea Riseborough, Juno Temple, Alicia Vikander, and Suraj Sharma. Though Olsen lost the award to Temple, it was nonetheless further proof that she was being recognized all over the world for her growing body of film work. However, that same year, she went back to her theater roots in a role that many actresses dream of playing. 

Olsen played the coveted role of Juliet in a 2013 Off-Broadway production of "Romeo and Juliet" at the Classic Stage Company in New York City. The show had broad ambitions, given that it opened at the same time as another Broadway production of William Shakespeare's most famous play, which starred Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad in the titular roles (per The New York Times).

The show was vulnerable to some criticism, particularly in its interpretation of some of the play's biggest moments, and The New York Times noted that Olsen herself seemed limited to just two emotional states throughout the course of the show. Nevertheless, playing the role of Juliet is quite an achievement for an actress of any caliber, though it also remains Elizabeth Olsen's last appearance in a theater role. 

Elizabeth Olsen technically made her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," during a post-credits scene which introduces her as Wanda Maximoff and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as her twin brother Pietro. The two characters made their official debut the next year in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," where Pietro is subsequently killed and Wanda is accepted into the Avengers. Olsen's casting initially threw off critics, who felt that Marvel was whitewashing a typically Roma and Jewish character from the comics (via The Atlantic).

However, it didn't take long for Olsen to win over any doubts the public had about her. She reprised her role in "Captain America: Civil War," which depicted the early stages of Wanda's soon-to-be romance with Vision, played by Paul Bettany. The two later played prominent, albeit tragic, roles in "Avengers: Infinity War," while Wanda also got to kick Thanos's butt in "Avengers: Endgame." 

Though Olsen's performances in these films were more supporting than front-and-center, the groundwork was slowly being set for her character to have a big presence in the MCU. During press for "Captain America: Civil War," Olsen relished the idea of Wanda "being a wild card" and somewhat of a threat to the other, more well-established heroes (via IGN). Nevertheless, the character's growing strength throughout the films would also coincide with Olsen's own career outside of the MCU. 

"Ingrid Goes West" premiered in 2017 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was acclaimed for its dark, witty screenplay. Elizabeth Olsen stars as Taylor, a social media influencer who is stalked by Aubrey Plaza's titular character, Ingrid. Eventually, Ingrid embarks on a mission to befriend Taylor, which ends up with Ingrid going to horrifying lengths to keep her obsession with Olsen's character a secret from those closest to her. Olsen received credit from critics for her work in the film, although most of the acclaim was saved for Plaza's wild, committed performance. 

The real draw of "Ingrid Goes West" wasn't the film itself, however, but its two stars. In support of the film's release, Olsen embarked on a lengthy press tour with Plaza, which spurred many viral shenanigans. Aside from plenty of off-the-rails interviews with the two actresses, the biggest viral stunt came at the film's Los Angeles premiere. In a sort of homage to their characters, Plaza showed up to the red carpet wearing an identical outfit to Olsen, who was delighted and shocked by the prank (via Vanity Fair). 

Fans of both actresses have since clamored for a reunion, which Olsen and Plaza have both supported. It may be on its way sooner rather than later, as Aubrey Plaza has been cast (per Variety) in "Agatha: Coven of Chaos," the "WandaVision" follow-up starring Kathryn Hahn's villain. 

In 2021, Elizabeth Olsen was tasked with the heavy duty of kicking off the MCU's highly-anticipated Phase Four, coming off the heels of the box office smash hit "Avengers: Endgame." The project was the first MCU Disney+ series, "WandaVision," which promised to be one of the more unique entries in the billion-dollar franchise. Unique it was, finding Olsen's Wanda Maximoff creating a false reality, stylized after eras of TV sitcoms, where she still gets to be with Paul Bettany's deceased Vision. 

The series was a homecoming for Olsen, who spent her childhood visiting the sets of her older sisters' sitcom glory. "WandaVision" tested not only Olsen's dramatic prowess as a superhero trying to use her powers to overcome grief, but also her comic timing in the vein of Mary Tyler Moore and Julie Bowen. The series' first episode, which was reminiscent of sitcoms like "I Love Lucy," was actually filmed in front of a live studio audience, which Olsen compared to her past experiences with stage acting (via Indiewire). 

The success of "WandaVision" paid off extremely well for Elizabeth Olsen. The actress became the first to be nominated for her performance in a Marvel project, garnering an Emmy nomination for her work in the series. It also skyrocketed the popularity of her character not only in the MCU, but in the comic book world (per EW). 

In 2022, Elizabeth Olsen brought her newfound success from "WandaVision" to the big screen with a major role in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." The film was helmed by Sam Raimi in the director's triumphant return to comic book movies, and all advance word seemed to indicate that, despite Benedict Cumberbatch's character having his name in the title, Wanda – as the Washington Post suggested — would steal the show. By the time it was released, that prediction came to fruition. 

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," however, was controversial among Marvel fans, according to The Wrap, particularly due to its portrayal of Wanda. In the film, the character is consumed by the evil power of the Darkhold, which she acquired at the end of "WandaVision," transforming her into the ruthless entity known as the Scarlet Witch. While it was a great vehicle to showcase Olsen's acting ability and ownership of the character, many fans felt distanced by the villainization of the character. 

Nevertheless, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" proved that Olsen was the newest star of the MCU. Unfortunately, the fate of her character seems to be in jeopardy after the tragic ending of the film. But fans of Wanda shouldn't be too scared about the character's future, given that Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige seems confident that this is far from the end for Olsen's tenure as an MCU mainstay (via Variety).