Elizabeth Olsen On Approaching Doctor Strange 2’s Connection To WandaVision

Wanda as The Scarlet Witch

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Spoilers ahead for the series finale of WandaVision!

After a number of delays, Phase Four of The Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally begun thanks to WandaVision on Disney+. The show allowed Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff to take the spot light for the first time, while also showing her finally transform into The Scarlet Witch. Olsen's signature Avenger will return to the silver screen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and now she's explained how she approached that movie's connection to WandaVision.

The series finale of WandaVision planted a few major narrative seeds, which will come to root in Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange's upcoming sequels. Given her role in The Multiverse of Madness, fans are wondering if Elizabeth Olsen was consciously trying to set up her next role. The 32 year-old actress recently addressed this connection, clarifying:

I didn’t know my part in Doctor Strange until right before we got back to filming during the pandemic. We had two months left, and we’d filmed the majority of our show already. Really, I knew nothing until that moment when they pitched [Doctor Strange 2] to me verbally. So I tried, as much as I could, almost less so to have it affect WandaVision as have WandaVision affect it. I think that’s really been where the connection is. It’s almost like we’re trying to make sure that everything is honoring what we did [on the show].

Well, that makes sense. Given the timing of WandaVision filming and Doctor Strange 2 being developed, Elizabeth Olsen didn't always know she was going to appear in Sam Raimi's highly anticipated sequel. As such, she wasn't consciously trying to set up her next big screen appearance. Instead, she did just the opposite.

Elizabeth Olsen's comments to Variety help to peel back the curtain on what it's really like within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like the Westview Anomaly, the MCU operates on its own set of rules. Wanda is part of a much bigger picture, and Olsen needs to focus on one project at a time. Although when filming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness she was obviously informed by her character's most recent appearance.

Marvel fans can re-watch Wanda's time in the MCU so far on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Elizabeth Olsen's comments make a great deal of sense, as WandaVision made some serious changes to her signature Marvel character. Fans watched as she went through the various stages of trauma, eventually letting Vision go. What's more, she came into her power as the Scarlet Witch and is seemingly still in search of her lost twins. As such, we should be seeing a very different version of the character in Doctor Strange's sequel.

It should be fascinating to see how Wanda and Stephen Strange interact in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He's far more experienced in magic, and will no doubt be a resource. But Agatha Harkness revealed that the Scarlet Witch is actually more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme, which should add another complication to their dynamic.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently expected to hit theaters March 25th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.