Elizabeth Olsen disses Marvel Studios with canny bit of advice for young actors hoping to milk superhero cow
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Elizabeth Olsen recently shared a few words of wisdom for actors who will be signing contracts with Marvel Studios for future projects. The ‘Scarlet Witch’ actor warned all future Marvel stars against signing multi-movie deals with the company and advised them to commit one single film in the beginning to maintain more control.
“I say, just give them one [movie],” Olsen told Josh Horowitz during an appearance on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast. “I think that way you have more control,” she stated. “If you, let’s say, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is the most fun I’ve ever had and I love this character so much, I want to do it again,’ you now have more creative control for the next one,” the actor explained.
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‘I started to feel frustrated’
Olsen, who has been a Marvel Universe regular since 2015 and is known for playing Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in six films and two shows, opened up about her frustration of being contractually bound to act in multiple MCU films in the past. “It took me away from the physical ability to do certain jobs that I thought were more aligned with the things I enjoyed as an audience member,” Olsen told the New York Times last year.
“And this is me being the most honest,” she stated. She revealed one of the major roles she lost due to her Marvel schedule conflict was a part in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-nominated 2015 surreal comedy ‘The Lobster.’ “I started to feel frustrated,” Olsen shared. “I had this job security but I was losing these pieces that I felt were more part of my being. And the further I got away from that, the less I became considered for it,” she added.
After spending years dominating the Marvel Universe as Scarlet Witch, Olsen is finally showcasing her acting prowess in a new role outside of the Marvel Universe. She has received much appreciation for her portrayal of real-life murderer Candy Montgomery in the Max limited series ‘Love & Death'.
‘It varies now’
Marvel Studios was once known for its standard of making actors obligate to expansive deals. Back in 2009, Samuel L Jackson signed a nine picture contract with Marvel Studios. Similarly, actors like Chris Evans and several other ‘Avengers’ stars also signed six-picture deals with the company. However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that the company no longer adheres to such obligatory practices.
“That got a lot of attention way back when, with I think Scarlett, and [Chris] Hemsworth and Evans and Sam Jackson. It varies now,” Feige told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. “It varies, project to project, cast to cast,” he added. “Really, what we want are people that come in, are excited to be in the universe, are excited at the opportunity to do more things, as opposed to being locked into contractual obligations,” Feige mentioned.