Along with being one of the best actors in the MCU, Elizabeth Olsen's best movies and TV shows remind everyone that her talents go far beyond the Scarlet Witch. Olsen is the younger sister of child actor icons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and while she appeared in some of their videos as a child, she made her true debut with the acclaimed leading role in Martha Marcy May Marlene. Olsen's astounding performance in the indie movie put her on Hollywood's radar and her career has been building ever since.
Olsen has the ability to deliver layered and nuanced performances in everything from the big blockbuster she is best known for to the smaller indies to her television shows. Even within her MCU projects, Olsen has managed to deliver compelling and emotional performances amid the superhero fun. As beloved as Wanda Maximoff is, it has always been a joy to see how she has grown her career in other ways with challenging, exciting, and bold new works.
10 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
As Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
- Release Date
- May 6, 2022
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Director
- Sam Raimi
Cast
Doctor Stephen Strange
Xochitl GomezAmerica Chavez
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Michael Waldron
- Prequel(s)
- Doctor Strange
- Sequel(s)
- Doctor Strange 3
- Franchise(s)
- Doctor Strange, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff entered the MCU as a villain, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness returns her to those roots. The second Doctor Strange movie is also a continuation of WandaVision as Stephen Strange is forced to face off with Scarlet Witch as she seeks a way to reunite with her lost sons by harnessing the energy of multiverse-jumper America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez).
With Sam Raimi at the helm of this sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a hugely entertaining ride that injects a lot of horror elements into the MCU for the first time. While Benedict Cumberbatch continues to be pitch-perfect as Doctor Strange, Olsen steals the show and seems to be having a lot of fun as the villain while also playing on the complexities of the character. It is a wild multiverse adventure with plenty of memorable cameos.
9 Sorry For Your Loss (2018-2019)
As Leigh Shaw
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Sorry For Your Loss
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2019-00-00
- Network
- Facebook Watch
Cast
Leigh
Janet McTeerAmy
Shannon DangCrystal-
Nikki CastilloOlivia
WHERE TO WATCH
- Creator(s)
- Kit Steinkellner
While Sorry for Your Loss did not get the same kind of attention as Elizabeth Olsen's other television projects, it is a wonderful display of her talents. Olsen stars in the series as Leigh Shaw, a young woman who recently lost her husband to an unexpected death. As she grapples with life in the aftermath of the loss, she deals with grief, her complicated feelings about her late husband, and the idea of moving on.
Olsen carries the show with her performance, showing the different ways a person can handle grief. She can be funny at times with Leigh's blunt way of talking about the hardships. However, she is also heartbreaking in making it clear that this is not something a person really gets over. It is an engrossing exploration of grief with Olsen's nuanced performance guiding everything at the center of it all.
8 Love & Death (2023)
As Candy Montgomery
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Love & Death
- Release Date
- 2023 - 2023-00-00
- Network
- HBO Max
- Directors
- Lesli Linka Glatter
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- David E. Kelley
Elizabeth Olsen took on the true-crime story of Love & Death, delivering another layered performance that showed a side of her audiences have never seen before. is the true story of Candy Montgomery, a suburban housewife living in the 1970s who pursues a romantic relationship with a married man in her community. However, this eventually led to the death of the man's wife and Candy being put on trial for the murder.
The obsession with true-crime cases led to this particular story being told as two separate miniseries, Love & Death with Olsen and Candy with Jessica Biel. However, Olsen makes the role her own, playing Candy as a woman who doesn't seem to have guilt or remorse and simply goes for what she wants. It is an unsettling performance but also one with a bit of dark humor thrown in. Olsen was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
7 Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
As Martha
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Martha Marcy May Marlene
- Release Date
- October 21, 2011
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
- Director
- Sean Durkin
- Writers
- Sean Durkin
Cast
-
Brady Corbet
John Hawkes
Hugh Dancy
Sarah Paulson
In her debut movie role, Elizabeth Olsen stunned many with an amazing display of her talents. Martha Marcy May Marlene is a powerful drama-thriller that stars Olsen as Martha, a young woman who has recently escaped an isolating and abusive cult, run by the imposing yet alluring leader Patrick (John Hawkes). As she attempts to make her new life while staying with her estranged sister and brother-in-law, Martha deals with the lingering trauma of her experiences.
The lead role is an incredibly complex one and demands a lot of Olsen as an actor. However, she delivers and carries the movie with this amazing performance. The audience sees Martha as a lost person who s the cult in the first place as well as seeing the aftermath of all the psychological issues she has to work through while also trying to understand the world again after her perspective has been so warped.
6 Ingrid Goes West (2017)
As Taylor Sloane
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Ingrid Goes West
- Release Date
- August 11, 2017
- Director
- Matt Spicer
- Writers
- David Branson Smith, Matt Spicer
Cast
Billy Magnussen
O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Elizabeth Olsen has not often gotten the chance to show off her comedic skills in many projects, but Ingrid Goes West is a perfect example of how funny she can be. Ingrid Goes West stars Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid, a troubled young woman who places too much importance on social media. After being released from a psychiatric hospital, Ingrid heads to California in order to befriend an Instagram celebrity, Taylor Sloane (Olsen), only for things to take a dark turn.
Olsen is hilarious as the vain and out-of-touch young influencer, yet she never makes Taylor into an easy cartoonish character. The movie is a hilarious dark comedy that has a lot of clever comedy about the social media world. It also manages to be a unique take on female friendship, with Plaza and Olsen sharing wonderful oddball chemistry. They are ed by a solid ing cast that includes Wyatt Russell, Pom Klementieff, and O'Shea Jackson Jr.
5 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
As Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
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Avengers: Infinity War
- Release Date
- April 27, 2018
- Runtime
- 149 minutes
- Director
- Joe Russo
Cast
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Steve Rogers / Captain America
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Prequel(s)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Franchise(s)
- MCU
Elizabeth Olsen was always relegated to ing roles in the MCU, but she always found a way to stand out in the massive ensembles. Avengers: Infinity War is an epic adventure that brings Thanos to the forefront of the MCU for the first time. As the Mad Titan commences on his mission to collect the Infinity Stones, the scattered Avengers attempt to stop the most powerful threat they have come up against.
Olsen delivers one of the most effective performances in the movie, with Infinity War exploring the relationship between Wanda and Vision. Their bond is very much the heart of the movie which is elevated thanks to the chemistry between Olsen and Paul Bettany. It helps add to the surprising emotional impact of Infinity War which works well alongside the fun action and the great humor.
4 His Three Daughters (2024)
As Christina
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His Three Daughters
- Release Date
- September 20, 2024
- Runtime
- 101 Minutes
- Director
- Azazel Jacobs
Cast
Natasha LyonneRachel-
Christina
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Azazel Jacobs
Elizabeth Olsen partnered with two other very talented actors, Natasha Lyonne, and Carrie Coon, in the cast of the comedy-drama His Three Daughters. The three actors star as three somewhat estranged daughters who converge on their father's New York City apartment to care for their father and prepare for the final days of his life. As they deal with their grief, they must also unpack the difficult relationships they all share.
Olsen plays Christina, the youngest of the siblings and the one who is most open about her emotions. It is another performance that combines different elements of Olsen's talents, being very grounded, heartbreaking, and funny all at once. It's a performance that fits very well into the dynamic of the movie with its simple setting that explores grief and relationships in a very real way, with humor mixed with drama.
3 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
As Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
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Captain America: Civil War
- Release Date
- May 6, 2016
- Runtime
- 147 minutes
- Director
- Joe Russo
Cast
-
Steve Rogers / Captain America
-
Tony Stark / Iron Man
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Prequel(s)
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel
Out of all of the MCU movies that Elizabeth Olsen has appeared in, Captain America: Civil War is not only the best but also gives Wanda Maximoff her most interesting story. The third Captain America movie brings in a lot of other heroes as Steve Rogers finds himself at odds with Tony Stark over the Sokovia Accords. The emergence of Bucky Barnes further complicates matters and pits the Avengers against each other as they disagree on their roles as heroes in the new world order.
Even with the stacked roster of heroes, Olsen gets a lot to do, exploring the idea of Wanda not truly understanding the scope of her powers, being perceived as a villain, and even introducing the idea of the relationship between Wanda and Vision. The movie is a funny and exciting MCU adventure, but it is also an intense thriller with some terrific twists that reshape the MCU in big ways.
2 WandaVision (2021)
As Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
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WandaVision
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2021-00-00
- Showrunner
- Jac Schaeffer
- Directors
- Matt Shakman
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Jac Schaeffer
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
While Elizabeth Olsen had already been playing Wanda Maximoff for years, WandaVision was the first opportunity for her to truly explore the character as the center of a story. WandaVision is also one of the most ambitious MCU projects ever made as it begins with Wanda and Vision playing out a pitch-perfect domestic life styled after classic sitcoms. Each new episode takes inspiration from a new era of sitcoms while also gradually unraveling the truth about what is happening.
Once again, Olsen's chemistry with Paul Bettany as Vision is excellent, as these two ing players in the MCU get to dive deep into their characters and try new things. However, it is Olsen who carries the show with her layered performance that shows just how complex of a character Wanda really is. It is a true acting feat how Olsen manages to juggle all the different takes on the character and still feels authentic.
1 Wind River (2017)
As Jane Banner
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Wind River (2017)
- Release Date
- August 4, 2017
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Director
- Taylor Sheridan
- Writers
- Taylor Sheridan
Cast
Cory Lambert-
Jane Banner
Elizabeth Olsen teamed up with another Avengers actor, Jeremy Renner, for a much different project. Wind River is a crime thriller that stars Renner as Cory, a hunter living on the titular Native American reservation in Wyoming. When a local girl is found dead, young FBI agent Jane Banner (Olsen) is sent to investigate. Cory agrees to help her navigate the land but has plans to ensure justice is served to the girl's killer.
Olsen and Renner have shared great chemistry in the MCU, but their dynamic is much different here and even more compelling. Olsen strikes a terrific balance between playing Jane as a skilled and intelligent agent but also an outsider who doesn't quite understand what she is stepping into. The thriller served as the directorial debut of Taylor Sheridan and it remains a more impressive piece of work than anything in his Yellowstone universe.
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