Olsen Talks Scarlet Witch/Wanda’s Disappearing Accent

After the runaway success of WandaVision, the character of Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch is set to become one of the most prominent faces of the MCU going forward. It’s clear that Marvel has big plans for the chaos sorceress and the trajectory for her story is going to become all the clearer in the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

That said, one of the lingering bits of confusion surrounding the character is her magically disappearing accent. When Wanda debuted in Avengers: Age of Ultron, she had a thick eastern European accent, as she was from the nation of Sokovia. However, it was noticeably lesser in Captain America: Civil War, and by the time Infinity War hit, it was gone completely.

Now, during an interview with Rolling Stone, actress Elizabeth Olsen opened up about why the accent disappeared and confirmed that it would be returning in her next appearance, stating that:

So that started with Civil War. The Russos [directors Anthony and Joseph Russo] said, ‘Can she just have a softer accent, because she’s been in America, and has to have been speaking English more’. So, I was like, sure. I do have to say that in [Wanda’s next appearance, in 2022’s] Dr. Strange [in the Multiverse of Madness], after the experience she has in WandaVision, she goes back to an accent that’s more true to her. Now that I feel a little bit more ownership of the character, I feel like she does retreat back to having this more honest expression. The sitcom part was totally different, because she’s trying to hold on to an American sitcom world and play the part the best she can.

It’s interesting that Marvel isn’t ignoring the transition, but rather, making it into a character arc of sorts. Wanda, as a character, was always someone at odds with herself and trying to change into someone the world could accept. After the events of WandaVision, though, she’s fully embraced herself and the return of her natural accent is a sign of that.

Olsen will next appear as Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is expected to incorporate the stories from WandaVision, Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Marvel sequel will premiere in cinemas on March 25th 2022.