Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen addressed her next MCU appearance, saying she wants her character to be old and gnarly upon her Marvel return.
Olsen has not been seen in the MCU since her character's alleged death at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness back in 2022. However, after nearly three years since her MCU hero mysteriously disappeared, Olsen is back talking about her spell-binding Marvel maven.
And with a pair of Avengers movies coming down the pipes soon for the franchise, it may be the perfect time for the Scarlet Witch to return.
Elizabeth Olsen Teases a 'Gnarly' MCU Return
Elizabeth Olsen teased her potential MCU return, voicing her hopes for a different-looking Scarlet Witch when she does come back.
Speaking with The Playlist, the Marvel Studios star brought up what she wants to see if/when she returns to the MCU, positing, "When I think about my dream version [of Wanda], it’s like 50 years later, and I have white hair...and gnarly face:"
"You know, when I think about my dream version [of Wanda], it’s like 50 years later, and I have white hair— such a big, massive white wig—and gnarly face of wrinkles doing like a Tracy Ullman thing. And I am just like a creature that they find. And that’s how I imagine Wanda’s next journey."
She admitted she has even "quite literally pitched" this idea to Marvel Studios, remarking that this particular twist on her longtime Marvel character would be "so fun:"
"It’s something I have quite literally pitched. Because it would be so fun to get to do that to me. I mean, I guess in one of the comics, she ages quite quickly, and I think those are the images that are implanted in my brain next because I haven’t done it."
When prodded about asking Avengers: Doomsday directors The Russo Brothers about this angle for Scarlet Witch, Olsen let out a cryptic, "Yeah."
This is the second time in just a matter of weeks Olsen has commented on the idea of coming back to the MCU. Mere days ago, the Scarlet Witch actress told press she would "love to keep doing more" if given the chance:
"I do feel very lucky that I’ve been able to play a character for over 10 years of my life, and I’d love to keep doing more. But the animation thing, I feel like it’s a parallel world. I don’t really know how it intersects with what we do. But I’ve really enjoyed getting to play her over 10 years, and I continue to feel lucky that I have the opportunities I did, creatively."
How An Old Scarlet Witch Could Make Sense?
To some, these comments bringing up an old and grisly-looking Scarlet Witch are going to be confusing, but Elizabeth Olsen might be on to something.
Just because it would be different for the MCU, does not mean Scarlet Witch taking a turn for the gnarly is completely unprecedented.
Fans got a glimpse of it a bit in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as the power of the Darkhold gripped Wanda's very soul and changed her look by way of its terrifying dark magic.
There is also a run of Scarlet Witch and Uncanny X-Men comics that saw the character age incredibly fast, during a time when magic as a whole was severely weakened in the Marvel Universe.
This could make perfect sense if it were to be brought over to the MCU.
With rumors swirling that one of the next major MCU arcs will see the Young Avengers (including Wanda's sons Billy and Tommy) on the hunt for the long-lost Scarlet Witch—just like the beloved "Children's Crusade" comic arc—what better way for them to find her then as a disheveled husk of former self?
Maybe the effects of something from Avengers: Doomdays will seep the MCU's prime Earth of its magic, ridding Wanda (who may still be MIA) of her powers, and sending the Young Avengers on her trail before she is powered back up to save the day in the epic conflict that is going to be Avengers: Secret Wars.
Whatever happens, it certainly seems as though Elizabeth Olsen is about ready for her MCU return, as the franchise heads into some of the most consequential stories in franchise history.
All of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch appearances are now streaming on Disney+.
