It continues to be Elizabeth Olsen’s world, and we’re all just living in it. Olsen has brought Wanda Maximoff to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Age of Ultron and is now rightfully gaining a lot of support for her performance in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which hits theaters tomorrow night. Despite my feelings on her storyline as a whole in the movie (which I will touch on in a future piece), one thing is very clear: Lizzie Olsen is a powerhouse.
Nearly all the reviews out of this movie put their differences aside to praise her work as Wanda, and rightfully so. In WandaVision, we watched as she grappled with grief and lost control of herself and in Multiverse of Madness. We were confronted with a Wanda who was at her rope’s end and needed some kind of lifeline no matter the cost. Elizabeth Olsen played her torment in a way that made you understand her outrageous motives. She made you believe that she was willing to do anything to get what she wanted and that she was being “reasonable” in her own way.
Critics rave
What’s been wonderful to see is the influx of love for Olsen and her performance from reviews of the movie. She brought a power to Wanda that continues to highlight why she’s such a fascinating character, and most everyone came out of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness praising her for it.
The review for the San Francisco Chronicle specifically pointed out that Olsen was the MVP of the movie. “Elizabeth Olsen, who, as the Scarlet Witch, gives what will go down as one of the finest performances of the year. It’s easily the best acting in a superhero movie since Heath Ledger’s in 2008’s ‘The Dark Knight,'” Mick LaSalle writes and he’s correct.
Inverse‘s Eric Francisco says, “Enough truly cannot be said for Olsen as Wanda here. There hasn’t been a superhero actor this in tune to their role since maybe Christopher Reeve as Superman.”
Wanda has been that bitch
There’s a reason I love Wanda Maximoff. And though I love the comic book take on the character, I really love what Elizabeth Olsen did with her. In Captain America: Civil War, when she shows up with chipped nails, I knew that I’d lay my life on the line for Wanda, and her performance in Multiverse of Madness proves just how much she understands this character and the pain she holds.
I’m happy that the consensus is that Olsen is amazing, and I hope that she continues to get the praise she deserves. Her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff is one that ranks up there for me in terms of brilliant superhero roles. There’s something so magical about her take on Wanda, and no one can quite give you the chills with a simple head-tilt in the way that Olsen can.
If you go into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with an open mind, you’ll be blown away by just how good she is.
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
