Elizabeth Olsen, known to millions as Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch of the Marvel Universe, has revealed that she has never actually watched Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The 2022 blockbuster, which marked a dark and emotionally intense chapter for her character, remains unseen by Olsen — and she says she has no plans to revisit it anytime soon.
“It’s too much,” Olsen admitted in a recent interview with a laugh. “I’d rather garden than relive that.”
An Emotional Marathon
Olsen portrayed Wanda for nearly a decade, from her debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) through the Emmy-winning WandaVision (2021). But filming Multiverse of Madness pushed her to new emotional depths.
“Wanda’s grief in that film felt very real to me,” Olsen explained. “We’d just finished WandaVision, where she was mourning her entire world — her family, her children — and then we jumped straight into a story where she becomes the villain. Emotionally, it was a lot. By the end of it, I just needed space.”
The actress described the shoot as “an emotional marathon,” involving months of intense performances — screaming, crying, and high-stakes drama — often against green screens. “When we wrapped, I couldn’t even think about watching it. I needed to come down to earth again,” she said.
Finding Peace Beyond the Screen
Despite her widely praised performance, Olsen deliberately distanced herself from the role afterward. “I love Wanda. She’s given me so much,” she said. “But there comes a point where you have to reclaim your energy from a character. I’d been living in her pain for years.”
To decompress, Olsen returned to what she calls her “real therapy”: gardening. “I went home and started planting things,” she said. “Tomatoes, herbs, roses. I found more peace in dirt under my nails than in any red carpet.”
She also noted that watching her own performances feels unusual. “It’s not about shame or criticism,” Olsen explained. “Once you’ve lived it, you don’t need to relive it. Acting is emotional. When it’s done, I want to move on.”
The Irony of the Unseen Multiverse
Fans have pointed out the irony that a character who travels across universes has never been seen in one of her most pivotal films by the actress who played her. Olsen laughed at the thought. “Maybe in another universe I sat down and watched it. But in this one? I’m outside, watering the garden.”
Choosing Balance Over Burnout
Looking ahead, Olsen says she’s focused on projects that bring balance rather than emotional exhaustion. “I don’t need to be in ten universes anymore,” she said. “I want to be present — to cook dinner, to read a book, to have dirt on my hands.”
She hasn’t completely ruled out Wanda’s return. “Never say never,” she teased. “But if she does come back, I hope she’s done some healing. I certainly have.”
Then, with a soft laugh, she added: “The multiverse can wait. My roses can’t.”
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