With new Marvel Studios projects arriving on a semi-regular basis yet again (especially with Disney+ series), we’re likely going to see a lot of MCU actors getting asked about the Scarlett Johansson lawsuit against Disney (regarding “Black Widow” box office totals) and how this pandemic might affect the future of theatrical releases. And one of the first to talk openly about the situation is Elizabeth Olsen, star of “WandaVision.”
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Elizabeth Olsen was asked about the Scarlett Johansson lawsuit against Disney and the future of the theatrical experience. Obviously, Olsen is in the unenviable situation of being friends with Johansson (from their years together in the MCU) and also still actively working for Marvel Studios (and, by proxy, Disney) due to her upcoming superhero projects. But when talking about the Johansson situation and how COVID has affected the theatrical exclusivity of films, Olsen seems more concerned about the future of films getting theatrical releases and not so much the specifics of Johansson’s case.
“I’m worried about a bunch of things. Not worried on Scarlett’s behalf. But I’m worried about small movies getting the opportunity to be seen in theaters,” said Olsen. “That was already a thing pre-COVID. I like going to the movies and I don’t necessarily want to see only an Oscar contender or a blockbuster. I would like to see art films and art house theaters.”
She continued, “And so I do worry about that, and people having to keep these theaters alive. And I don’t know how financially that works for these theaters. I do hope that there’s some sort of solution that the larger companies are coming together to keep, at least in L.A. this is going to happen. But I do think it’s going to be how it kind of used to be when studios owned theaters. And I have a feeling that we might go back to that being the only way to keep them alive with such expensive real estate. But when it comes to actors and their earnings, I mean, that’s just, that’s just all contracts. So it’s either in the contract or it’s not…I think [Johansson is] so tough and literally when I read that I was like, ‘Good for you, Scarlett.’”
Of course, many people recognize Olsen from her role as Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But before she was a marquee name in huge superhero blockbusters, Olsen also appeared in a number of smaller films (such as “Oldboy,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” and “Kill Your Darlings”) that one could argue wouldn’t get the same theatrical push in 2021 as they did previously.
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As we are currently in the thick of the pandemic, it’s still difficult to predict the future, in regards to how everything is going to end up with the theatrical experience. Many filmmakers are rightfully concerned about what might happen, but we’ll just have to wait and see. For Olsen, her next feature, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” is likely going to be on big screens all around the world, so she won’t have to worry there.