Press: How Elizabeth Olsen Came Into Her Powers

The actress started as an indie darling and never expected to become a Marvel linchpin as Wanda Maximoff. But she’s now so invested in the role, she’s open to a solo film.

Studio Photoshoots > 2022 > Session 006

NY TIMES: Elizabeth Olsen is used to waiting in the wings. When she was an acting student at New York University, she landed an understudy role in the Broadway play “Impressionism,” starring Jeremy Irons. The show ran for 56 performances. Olsen didn’t take the stage a single time.

That sort of lost opportunity could mess with an actress’s mind, but Olsen was never in any hurry to seize the spotlight. Years later, when she was cast as the reality-bending witch Wanda Maximoff in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” her character was more of an ancillary Avenger than the main event, and in three subsequent Marvel films — each with a more overstuffed ensemble of superheroes than the last — Olsen never rose higher than 10th billing.

But a funny thing happened after biding all of that time: “WandaVision,” a sitcom spoof about Wanda and her android husband, became an unexpected phenomenon when it made its debut early last year on Disney+. This month, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which counts Olsen as its co-lead and pits her troubled witch against Benedict Cumberbatch’s goateed sorcerer, has proved even more major. The movie collected $185 million in its first three days of release, ranking 11th among the biggest domestic opening weekends of all time.

For Olsen, who initially made her mark in independent films, this is the equivalent of turning a comic-book page to find yourself the subject of a massive splash panel. During a video call last week, I asked how it felt to come to the fore as a blockbuster leading lady.

“I’m totally mortified!” she said. “I won’t watch it.”

Hours after we spoke, Olsen would walk the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” but she planned to flee the theater as soon as the movie began. “This is pressure I’m feeling for the first time,” she explained. “I have a lot of anxiety with ‘Doctor Strange’ coming out because I’ve never really had to lead a commercial film by myself.”

She coughed, unwrapping a foil package: “Sorry, I have a lozenge.”

Olsen, 33, is casual and friendly, exuding a California glow so powerful that you would hardly know she had been sick for days. “It’s just annoying,” she said, swigging water from a Mason jar. “I think my body really wants to chill out.” She embarked on this global press tour the day after wrapping a seven-and-a-half-month shoot for the HBO limited series “Love and Death,” the sort of packed schedule that also required her to film “WandaVision” and “Doctor Strange” back to back.
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Filed under: "Doctor Strange 2v- MoM" Press Tour, Marvel, Photoshoots, Press

May 10 2022

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Press: Doctor Strange 2 Star Elizabeth Olsen Expects to Return to the MCU

COMIC BOOK:There are rarely any guarantees in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Elizabeth Olsen feels incredibly confident that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness won’t be her last time appearing in the franchise. We know that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will be coming back to the franchise in the future, and the fact that the film was America Chavez’s MCU debut seems to guarantee her return as well. Wanda doesn’t that guarantee, at least not yet. Olsen still thinks that Wanda’s story isn’t finished.

“It’s weird that I’m expecting to return but no one’s told me I’m doing anything,” Olsen told Variety in a recent interview. “But in my mind, I’m just making the assumption that they’ll have me again. I don’t know to what capacity, but I hope I’m back. I hope there’s also more fun to be had in something different. Where do we go? I feel like we’ve done so much with her. It’s been really a wild couple years with her.”

As Olsen said, Wanda has been through quite a lot in recent years. Before the new Doctor Strange adventure, the character was at the center of the mysterious WandaVision story, which put her grief front and center.

“There were just beats that I felt like were almost too similar, as opposed to reflective,” she added. “I just wanted everything to feel like some version of an advancement, even if the advancement is someone feeling a different reaction to to the pain and loss. We also haven’t seen her have a reaction to what happened in Westview. Even if we watched her go through trauma and loss, we haven’t seen her go through the loss of the children. I think, for any parent – I would assume, because I’m not one – the loss of the child would always be much harder than the loss of anyone else important in your life. I just wanted to make sure it was a constant evolution forward and not repetitive. And so it was just slight adjustments. I couldn’t do any major changes because sets were being built and things like that. And schedules were being made, although in flux. But, yeah, I was trying to figure out how do we not be repetitive? How do we create an evolution? How do we make this different but still part of the woman that we know?”

Filed under: Marvel, Press

May 09 2022

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Press: Elizabeth Olsen Texted WandaVision Costar Paul Bettany ‘I Miss You’ amid Doctor Strange 2 Press

“I’m so used to doing press with him and I just miss him so much,” Olsen said at the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

PEOPLE: Elizabeth Olsen is taking a moment to think of her former onscreen husband while doing press for her latest Marvel movie.

The actress, 33, attended the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in Hollywood on Monday, the latest MCU franchise entry in which she reprises her role of Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch.

Ahead of the film, Olsen spoke with PEOPLE, saying how it feels different this time around to be doing press and attending events without her former costar Paul Bettany. Bettany famously played Vision, a super-enhanced artificial intelligence that Olsen’s Wanda falls in love with over the course of the Avengers films and later, in the popular Marvel/Disney+ series WandaVision.

“I did text him last weekend and I was like, ‘I miss you,’ ” Olsen said, “because I’m so used to doing press with him and I just miss him so much and Wanda’s really alone in this film and I feel it as an actor.”

Bettany’s Vision character met his demise at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, and much of WandaVision recounts how Wanda grapples with his death — even creating a new version of him within a fabricated world.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, is the first MCU installment with Olsen that does not also include Bettany.

Regarding Wanda/Scarlet Witch’s enthusiastic fan base thanks to WandaVision, Olsen also said on Monday night that being able to do the series ahead of this new movie “was an amazing opportunity.”

“I think because of the experience that the audience and the fans have had with WandaVision, they’ll have a different perspective coming into Dr. Strange, and I’m excited for the journey they’re about to see Wanda go on in this film.”

Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Chiwetel Ejiofor also return for the Doctor Strange sequel, in which multiple universes clash and intertwine.

Cumberbatch last appeared in his Avengers role in last year’s record-breaking hit Spider-Man: No Way Home, which meshed multiverses in the Spidey realm, mixing Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s iterations of the character. Sam Raimi, who directed the early-2000s Maguire Spider-Man movies, directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

“The movie is a journey into the Multiverse, so you do see different iterations of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, and even Lizzie Olsen’s character of Wanda Maximoff,” Raimi told Fandango last month. “So the actors have to play that. It’s a great challenge for them and great fun to direct them playing these altered versions of themselves.”

The director added, “I think Wanda’s magic, from Marvel lore, is more powerful than almost any of the other characters in this picture, but Doctor Strange has the knowledge of the mystic arts that Wanda doesn’t have, and he’s got the help of Kamar-Taj. If you were to pit them against each other, different altered versions of themselves … there could be a Doctor Strange out there that’s more powerful than our Wanda. Or there could be a Wanda out there who is more powerful than our Wanda here. So, because of these altered versions, it’s all a mixed bag of possibilities.”

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which follows 2016’s Doctor Strange, hits theaters Friday May 6.

Filed under: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel, Press, WandaVision

May 09 2022

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Press/Video: Latest ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Featurette Spotlights Wanda Maximoff’s Return

Doctor Strange and The Scarlet Witch return to theaters on May 6!

MARVEL: Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives exclusively in theaters in one week, starting May 6. Tickets are now on sale!

In the latest brand-new featurette, seen above, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, film stars Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and director Sam Raimi reveal how the infinite possibilities of the Multiverse affect Wanda Maximoff / The Scarlet Witch as she returns following the events of Marvel Studios’ WandaVision.

The featurette opens with Vision’s poignant line from WandaVision, “What is grief, if not love persevering?”

“Part of the Madness of the Multiverse is we get to see different realities,” explains Feige. “And we see different versions, primarily of Doctor Strange, but we do see other versions of Wanda Maximoff.”

“WandaVision was this journey of her, for the first time, taking her own life into her own hands, and it was fun transitioning from her experience to this movie,” adds Olsen.

“We wanted to satisfy the WandaVision fans and take them to the next level with a character they love,” reveals Raimi.

“It was fun just looking at it from a different perspective,” Olsen says.

“It’s magical,” raves Cumberbatch. “She owns that character so well. It’s a very powerful performance, with a very powerful character.”

“In the Multiverse, there are alternate versions of everyone. It gives the character a unique opportunity to meet themselves, to recognize qualities that they may have been blind to,” Raimi concludes.

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives in theaters May 6, 2022. Advanced tickets now available!

I have added all of the trailers and featurettes for Doctor Strange 2 to the Video Gallery.

Filed under: "Doctor Strange 2v- MoM" Press Tour, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel, Press, Videos

April 30 2022

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Press: New Doctor Strange 2 Trailer Spoils ——

THE DIRECT: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is just around the corner, meaning that fans will soon witness the returns of Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen as Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff, respectively. Following the events of WandaVision, Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Strange is tasked with exploring the Multiverse along with Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong’s Wong, and Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez.

Leading up to the release of the film, new featurettes and short TV spots are being revealed on a near-daily basis. In most of these cases, the released footage is only raising more questions, rather than providing answers.

Click here to reveal SPOILERS!!

However, in one instance, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, who was all but confirmed in the main trailer, was given an expanded look.

This was thanks to the ScreenX format that some theaters offer, which expands the camera shot and allows the viewer to see farther on each side. The quick glimpse of just the side of Stewart’s head in a Multiverse of Madness TV spot was expanded in this format to show the entire back of his head, as well as the top of his wheelchair.

Charles Xavier isn’t the only part of the movie’s ScreenX footage that has garnered some attention, as other shots seen in the format are maybe a little more revealing than Marvel Studios intended.

Wanda Attacks Kamar-Taj

Twitter user @itsjustanx recently posted a clip from the main trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in the ScreenX format. This is an optional viewing experience that select theaters offer to moviegoers so that they can see beyond the core shot that would be featured on the 2D screens. Thanks to two additional screens on the left and right sides of ScreenX theaters, audience members become immersed in a much wider version of the movie and, in theory, have the ability to see more of the movie beyond the main center view.

In the main trailer for Multiverse of Madness, an attack is shown to be taking place at Kamar-Taj – the place in the Himalayas where Strange met the Ancient One in 2016’s Doctor Strange. It is where he began his training to learn the Mystic Arts as well as where his hands were healed.

In the standard version of the film’s trailer, not much is revealed except for a few brief explosions. However, the expanded ScreenX ratio shows that the core shot has different lighting than the sides. They appear to have a red hue, similar in color to Wanda’s Chaos Magic, heavily suggesting that Wanda is involved with this scene.

For comparison, here is a shot of Wanda using Chaos Magic in the film. When looking at the two shots side-by-side, the colors look nearly identical:

Many fans now believe that the main trailer’s Kamar-Taj destruction shots had been edited to change their color grading from Wanda’s red to limited yellow lighting in an attempt to prevent fans from knowing that the assailant is Wanda herself. This theory has further backing thanks to this recent ScreenX trailer, which apparently didn’t take the time to change the color tones of the scene, effectively spoiling that Scarlet Witch will be involved in the attack on the Mystic headquarters.

The change is definitely not a coincidence, as it can clearly be seen that there has been some heavy editing to the color. With the Multiverse allowing the possibility for Wanda to get her family back, it would be no surprise if her powers were on full display while she destroyed Kamar-Taj as a villainous figure.

The full trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been posted to YouTube in the ScreenX format by CINEMASUNSHINEch:

The Twitter post that contains just the clips from the Kamar-Taj attack can be seen below:

The #ScarletWitch attacks Kamar-Taj. ScreenX ratio. #MultiverseOfMadness pic.twitter.com/IaNdnZwZeu

— alias (@itsjustanx) April 22, 2022

This is Chaos Magic, Wanda

Wanda’s heel-turn has been building since Infinity War in 2018. Witnessing Vision’s death right in front of her eyes not once, but twice, really took a toll on her. In WandaVision, things only got worse as she had to say goodbye to Vision again, but this time, she had to leave her two children behind as well.

Marvel Studios hasn’t really tried to keep her intentions a secret, as there have been multiple instances in released footage where she can be seen covered in blood and looking like nothing will stand in her way. However, taking down Kamar-Taj is a task that would be deemed almost impossible by most, but with someone as powerful as the Scarlet Witch, those in the line of fire better find cover quickly.

It is not a surprise that the attack actually came from Wanda, but it is surprising that the ScreenX trailer showed it so blatantly, especially since it was clear that the shots had clearly been edited. The number of casualties that will take place during the attack is unknown as of right now, but with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness coming in less than two weeks, fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters on May 6.

Filed under: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel, Press

April 26 2022

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Press: Elizabeth Olsen Explain About Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch’s Different Spellcasting Hand Movements

MAXBLIZZ: Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen recently appeared for the photocall for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in Berlin, Germany. During the press tour, when asked stars about the different spellcasting hand movements for Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. Olsen explained that “It’s so specific…It’s fun to do it together because we have similar but different styles. We have different choreographers even.”

Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen on #DoctorStrange and The #ScarletWitch’s spellcasting hand movements:

“It’s so specific…It’s fun to do it together because we have similar but different styles. We have different choreographers even.” pic.twitter.com/DkeifTzxnS

— Doctor Strange Updates (@DrStrangeUpdate) April 21, 2022

Marvel never fails to do their marketing campaigns for the film. it is so fun with both Cumberbatch and Olsen sharing their experiences in the film. The stars can then be seen playing some sort of game with a spinning wheel, one that contains the names of several Avengers. They are also playing with Funko Pops! and other figures within a shadowbox: (Via Direct)

To restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers’ most powerful Scarlet Witch, Wanda. But a terrible threat looms over humanity and the entire universe that no longer can be done by their power alone. Even more surprising, the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit theaters on May 6, 2022.

Filed under: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel, Press

April 22 2022

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Gallery: Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” Photo Call In Berlin

Public Appearances > 2022 > April 21: “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” Photo Call In Berlin, Germany
Public Appearances > 2022 > April 21: “April 21: “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” Promotion in Berlin, Germanythanks to Elizabeth Olsen Brazil for these photos and the videos I will be posting!

Today/tonight Benjamin and Elizabeth promoted Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in Berlin, Germany.

The Marvel promo train is leaving the station once again. All is right with the world. Shut up. Let us have our little fantasies. We just love a good Disney-Dollar-funded promotional tour because no one ever slacks on those things. There’s too much money on the line. And yet…

We find ourselves somewhat disappointed by these initial results. Cumberbatch has an interesting red carpet history. He vacillates between the two extremes of “prestige British actor” style and “indie film king” style. In other words, it’s either the very best in formal menswear or he comes out looking like he slept in his outfit. A Marvel film doesn’t necessarily call for bespoke suiting, but we don’t think this sort of messy-ass look works any better. As for her, we’re happy she’s not falling into the “must dress according to a theme” trap that befalls so many superhero actors on the red carpet. We would be very happy if she avoided any shades of red through this entire promotional tour. This look is an interesting choice, but it strikes as an FMO – For Models Only. Amateur clothes-wearers might find it too difficult to pull off. The proportions of the broad shoulders, slight peplum and elephant leg pants aren’t great and we find ourselves wondering if this might look better without the jacket. That top looks pretty nice and we wish we could see more of it.

Tom and Lorenzos

Filed under: Appearances, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel, Press

April 21 2022

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Press: Elizabeth Olsen and Husband Robbie Arnett Write Kids’ Book About ‘Self-Care’

The couple announced their debut children’s book Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, which will be published by Viking Children’s Books on June 28, 2022

PEOPLE: Elizabeth Olsen and her husband Robbie Arnett care about wellness — and they want little ones to care about it, too.

On Thursday, the couple announced their debut children’s book Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, which will be published by Viking Children’s Books on June 28, 2022.

“Robbie and I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce the world to Hattie Harmony,” the 32-year-old WandaVision actress tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “Inspired by the picture books we adored as kids, we hope that Hattie will become a friend and a welcomed reminder to be kind to yourself and to each other.”

She continues: “We couldn’t have brought Hattie’s world to life without Marissa Valdez’s imaginative illustrations. In the words of Hattie Harmony… ‘Worry, Worry, Go Away… There’s No Time For You Today.’ ”

Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective is the first book in the couple’s new series. Illustrated by Marissa Valdez, the picture book follows Hattie Harmony, a “Worry Detective,” who helps her friends overcome their everyday anxieties like getting on the school bus or speaking in front of their classmates. With sweetness and warmth, she also finds ways to deal with her own fears.

“When we sat down to write Hattie Harmony, our goal was to create a relatable character who made talking about complicated feelings fun and engaging for kids,” Olsen and Arnett, 29, explain in a joint statement.

“We hope Hattie Harmony will become a welcomed reminder that it’s okay to speak up when we need help,” they continue, “and to always treat ourselves and others with kindness.”

The pair made their first public appearance as a couple in September 2017. Olsen is loved by Marvel fans for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff and Arnett is a lead singer in the indie band Milo Greene. Now, they’re joining creative forces to teach children about wellness.

Filed under: Press

December 16 2021

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Press: ‘Love & Death’: First Look At Elizabeth Olsen As Candy Montgomery

DEADLINE: HBO Max has released the first images of Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery in Love & Death, a limited series about the true story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery’s murder of Betty Gore in 1980. See the images above and below.

Olsen stars as Montgomery in the series, from the Big Little Lies and The Undoing duo of David E. Kelley and Nicole Kidman and Lionsgate Television. Production is currently underway in Kyle, TX, with premiere set for 2022.

Written by Kelley and directed by Homeland‘s Lesli Linka Glatter, Love and Death is inspired by the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs and a collection of articles from Texas Monthly (“Love & Death In Silicon Prairie,” Part I & II).

The series revolves around two churchgoing couples enjoying small-town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an ax.

Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Patrick Fugit, Keir Gilchrist, Elizabeth Marvel, Tom Pelphrey and Krysten Ritter also star.

Kelley executive produces through David E. Kelley Productions; Nicole Kidman and Per Saari through Blossom Films; Glatter (who directs the first four and final episodes); Scott Brown and Megan Creydt through Texas Monthly; Matthew Tinker; Michael Klick and Helen Verno.

Filed under: Love and Death, Press

October 15 2021

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Press: Inside Elizabeth Olsen’s Serene Emmys Getting Ready Experience

VOGUE: If you hadn’t heard, Elizabeth Olsen attended 2021’s Emmy ceremonies in a custom gown from The Row, the minimalist fashion label helmed by her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley. The internet loved that tidbit, but it was only one element of Olsen’s time at the ceremony. A first-time nominee for her performance as Wanda Maximoff on Disney +’s WandaVision, Olsen was up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. In the series, her character has to move between realities, emotions, and meta-TV references at rapid speed. And yet during the lead-up to her big night, Olsen kept things calm.

Pre-show Olsen and her glam squad of stylist Elizabeth Stewart, makeup artist Pati Dubroff, and hairstylist Adir Abergel put together an understated look that didn’t skimp on luxury. Abergel gave Olsen a brand new bob, Dubroff applied warm shades of Chanel cosmetics, and Augustinus Bader’s famously rich cream, while Stewart topped things off with chandelier earrings from Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie Collection featuring 68.7 carats of diamonds set in titanium.

Joined on the red carpet by husband Robbie Arnett, the couple wore his and hers pieces from The Row, giving an evening of bombastic fashion a moment of serene elegance. Here, the star shares a peek into her getting-ready process and a closer look at that instantly iconic gown.