Marvel Zombie star Elizabeth Olsen is more than ready to return as Wanda in the MCU 

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, or Scarlet Witch, has provided the most heart-wrenching and memorable moments in the history of the Marvel universe. She has demonstrated a combination of extraordinary strength and extreme vulnerability, whether it is WandaVision or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

In Marvel Zombies, however, Elizabeth Olsen comes back, in the most unanticipated form, as zombie Wanda. Although it may appear as an entertaining twist, it reveals a bigger picture: Olsen is more than willing to reclaim the role of Wanda in any incarnation. She has acknowledged that being a superhero may be a tiresome endeavor, yet she is also aware that these are stories meant to appeal to the fans and not the critics.

What did Elizabeth Olsen say

Being honest, many actors in large superhero franchises often feel burnt out, and Elizabeth Olsen is not an exception. She discusses the overpowering effect of the superhero world being tiresome, but does so frankly and in an approach that most people can relate to. She does not condemn these movies; on the contrary, she says, “these movies aren’t for critics, these movies are for fans.”

At the 2025 Hamptons International Film Festival, Elizabeth Olsen said:

"Some people have ongoing television series that they get to return to. Very few, I feel like, get to be a part of franchises that, I know we might culturally get a little bit exhausted by, but there is something about them that becomes very familial.”

That line is important. It reveals that she understands that critics will always have their say, but the most important aspect of the MCU is its relationship with the fans.

"There's nothing else really like it, and I don't know that I'll have [that] again unless it's for an ongoing show...I do like that kind of consistency. It feels good. I mean, job security feels nice — I think we can all agree on that."

By discussing the exhaustion openly, Olsen points out that she is not shunning the genre. She wants to make it better. This candor makes her return even more thrilling. The fans are not only getting Wanda back, they are getting a more mature, intelligent version of her, someone who knows what it is like to be a member of a giant superhero world.

She also values consistency. The fact that she is a part of a franchise and will be able to go back and revisit it is almost like being a family member. She is not just leaping in the dark, but she is considerate of her position and the overall picture. She also said:

"It is something that I love, and it's something I always want to return to....I think the thing that's been so special about the last five years is I've gotten to do so much with the character that I never thought I would. There are still character through lines that have happened in the comics that I'd love to do that I think fans also want to."

Elizabeth Olsen as zombie Wanda in Marvel Zombies

Putting Wanda in Marvel Zombies might seem like a gimmick at first because zombies and superheroes are not a natural pairing. But there’s depth here. The show provides Elizabeth Olsen with an opportunity to experiment with a different interpretation of Wanda, unbalanced, twisted, and strong, in a totally new landscape.

Olsen herself, interestingly, has admitted at an L.A. Comic Con panel that she cannot recall recording her lines in Marvel Zombies at all, that it was recorded years prior, maybe at home, and is currently a blank in her memory. That could even do her a favor: by the time the show aired, she could reconnect with Wanda without the baggage of playing her the way she did previously.

Zombie Wanda is not the culmination of her MCU narrative. Rather, it is an opportunity to do something new and daring. Zombie Wanda is able to present us with new stakes and stories that we have never encountered in a universe where there are plenty of multiverses, alternate versions, and improbable twists. It gives Elizabeth Olsen a new platform to explore emotionally and narratively, and it reminds us only how flexible her work can be.

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