Elizabeth Olsen refuses studio films without theatrical releases

Elizabeth Olsen rejects studio films without theatrical release and emphasizes importance of shared cinema experience

Elizabeth Olsen is drawing a clear line when it comes to her future in Hollywood: no theatrical release, no deal. In a new cover story with InStyle magazine, the actress said she no longer accepts roles in studio movies that are bound solely for streaming platforms.

“If a movie is made independently and only sells to a streamer, then fine,” Olsen told InStyle. “But I don’t want to make something where [streaming is] the end-all.” For Olsen, the communal aspect of cinema remains essential. “I think it’s important for people to gather as a community, to see other humans, be together in a space,” she added, comparing the experience to watching sports. “It’s really powerful for people to come together for something they’re excited about.”

Following her last Marvel appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Olsen has focused exclusively on independent films. Her recent credits include 2023’s His Three Daughters, 2024’s The Assessment, and the upcoming A24 romantic fantasy Eternity. Of those, only His Three Daughters was released by a streamer — Netflix — though it received a limited theatrical run for awards qualification.

Despite her shift toward indie projects, Olsen expressed deep appreciation for her decade-long role as Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which she first joined in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. “Making the films are fun. Goofy. It’s ridiculous,” Olsen said of her Marvel work. “It’s good to put her down, and then I miss her and want her back. I’d jump at the opportunity to be in her shoes again.”

She also praised the scale and artistry behind the franchise. “The people doing the visual effects are artists,” she said. “The soul, the spirit, the heart is fulfilled doing it. It does mean something.”

Olsen’s next film, Eternity, co-starring Miles Teller and Callum Turner, hits theaters this Thanksgiving. Set in the afterlife, the film follows a woman who must choose between her first love and her life partner.