Elizabeth Olsen Sees Marvel as ‘Insurance’ to Make Indie Films

Photo: Getty for Vulture.

When she isn’t playing Wanda Maximoff (or the Scarlet Witch) in a Marvel movie or TV series, you can probably find Elizabeth Olsen starring in a more intimate indie film. But no, she’s not just taking those Marvel jobs to make her passion projects, as she clarified at Vulture Festival.

“I’d never really had the mentality of ‘one for them, one for me,’” Olsen said. “Marvel has been such a consistent thing I’ve been able to return to and has created — what’s the word? — some feeling of insurance in my life that has given me freedom to choose other jobs. So I haven’t felt like, ‘And then I’ll do this to do this.’” Returning to Marvel for more projects, like the Disney+ series Wandavision, “has always felt like a choice,” Olsen added. “Every time, it’s character-driven,” she said. “It’s always like, ‘We have this idea, and that’s why we want you to come back.’ It’s not like, ‘Just throw her in something.’”

And Olsen knows the industry needs both types of movies. She admitted she doesn’t “have an interest in making” a film if it’s only going to be released on streaming — which is why she was excited that her Netflix film His Three Daughters didn’t just get a theatrical run, but was also shown on 35-millimeter film. But Olsen added that she knows Marvel projects can help “pay the rent” for theaters to be able to show smaller movies, citing director Paul Thomas Anderson’s comments. “I do think that’s the relationship,” Olsen said.

Starring in some of the industry’s biggest movies still won’t keep you from struggling to get another film made, though. Olsen also spoke about her role in Todd Solondz’s upcoming film Love Child, which he’s currently trying to fund. “I’m not a producer on it, but I’ve never hustled more for a movie that’s having a hard time being made,” Olsen said. She even brought that hustle to the panel, where she asked journalists to print her plea: “If you guys want to make a big, bold notice that says, Todd Solondz needs money to make a movie, that would be great.” Anything we can do to help.