Elizabeth Olsen Gets Candid About Marvel’s Role in Shaping Her Career – “It’s Not the Art I Want”

Elizabeth Olsen, who has spent the better part of the last decade enchanting Marvel fans as Scarlet Witch, is opening up about the disconnect between her blockbuster work and her personal artistic tastes. Appearing recently on NPR’s Wild Card with Rachel Martin podcast, Olsen candidly discussed how her time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has shaped perceptions of her — and why she feels she still has more to prove as an artist.

“I think I haven’t always successfully made choices in my work that are aligned with my personal taste,” Olsen admitted. “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.”

While Olsen made clear that she is proud of her work in the MCU, she was honest about the fact that superhero blockbusters aren’t necessarily the type of art she personally gravitates toward. “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. Which I have been very honest about,” she said.

Olsen first appeared as Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, in the post-credits scene of 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She soon became a fixture in the Marvel universe, starring in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Her most celebrated Marvel performance came in WandaVision, the Disney+ limited series that earned her an Emmy nomination and widespread acclaim for its innovative storytelling and emotional depth.

Looking back, Olsen said she was initially drawn to Marvel because of the mythic scale of the stories. “I thought they were such great Greek-type scale stories that reflected politics, culture in a really lovely way,” she noted. “And so I felt really proud to jump into it.” However, she acknowledged that in recent years, Marvel movies have become a hot-button issue within Hollywood — with actors often judged for either embracing or distancing themselves from the superhero genre.

Despite this tension, Olsen emphasized that her involvement with Marvel has always been a conscious, character-driven decision. At last year’s Vulture Festival, she reflected on the MCU’s impact on her life and career, calling it a “consistent thing” that provided a financial safety net and creative freedom to pursue more personal projects. “Every time, it’s character-driven,” she said. “It’s always like, ‘We have this idea, and that’s why we want you to come back.’ It’s not like, ‘Just throw her in something.’”

For Olsen, the next chapter appears focused on deepening her body of work beyond the Marvel universe — seeking roles that better align with the types of films and literature she personally loves. Her comments offer a rare, thoughtful glimpse into the balancing act many actors face between commercial success and artistic fulfillment — and a reminder that even within Hollywood’s biggest franchises, there’s room for reflection, growth, and evolution.

Would you also like me to suggest a sidebar like “Elizabeth Olsen’s Best Non-Marvel Performances” to add an extra layer for readers interested in her broader career?