Elizabeth Olsen’s award-worthy performance in Netflix’s His Three Daughters proves the harsh reality that she does not need the Marvel Cinematic Universe anymore. In the Netflix drama, Olsen plays Christina, who reunites with her estranged sisters, Katie (Carrie Coon) and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) to help their sick father (Jay O. Sanders) during his final days. Following its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and after coming to Netflix, His Three Daughters‘ reviews consistently praised the three lead performances, which paved the way for a 98% critical score and 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Olsen’s impressive performance comes at a time when her MCU character, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, is being frequently discussed. Her MCU return has been the source of speculation since the character’s ending in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, although the discourse is now further amplified as the WandaVision spinoff series Agatha All Along releases new episodes on Disney+. While she may eventually return to the MCU, His Three Daughters demonstrates that Olsen’s career is thriving without needing to continue playing an active role in the superhero universe.
His Three Daughters Proves Elizabeth Olsen Doesn’t Need The MCU
Her Performance In The Netflix Drama Is Worthy Of An Academy Award
Olsen, Coon, and Lyonne all deliver some of their career-best performances through the vulnerability and emotional depth they portray in His Three Daughters. Even though this is Olsen’s first non-MCU movie since starring in 2018’s Kondachrome alongside Ed Harris and Jason Sudeikis, it is arguably her best performance to date. His Three Daughters‘ 98% critical score is the highest-rated movie in Olsen’s career, with the next best being The Assessment, a science-fiction thriller that debuted with a 95% score and stellar reviews after premiering at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
The Assessment
‘s cast also includes Alicia Vikander and Himesh Patel.
His Three Daughters and The Assessment prove how she can excel outside of playing Wanda in the MCU. This is particularly apparent in His Three Daughters, as the dialogue-driven story is mostly confined to an apartment, and the movie is only able to work because Olsen, Coon, and Lyonne make it riveting to watch with their nuanced and emotional performances. As Olsen demonstrated in His Three Daughters, she does not need big-budget action sequences and special effects and can carry a project with her acting talents.
Elizabeth Olsen’s Upcoming Movies Will Give Her More Non-MCU Success
Olsen deserves an Academy Award nomination for her His Three Daughters performance, as do Coon and Lyonne. Regardless of what happens with the awards, though, her non-MCU success is poised to continue far beyond His Three Daughters. The Assessment is receiving a similarly positive buzz and is one of 2025’s most-anticipated movies, illustrating that she is just as skillful in a sci-fi thriller as she is in a drama about a family’s grief and collective trauma. Her next movie after The Assessment is Eternity, a romantic comedy produced by A24 that is currently in post-production.
While it is too early to know if Eternity will be another hit for Olsen, most of A24’s movies in recent years have been phenomenal, ranging from the multiversal and critically acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once to the deeply poignant Past Lives. Produced by A24 and with a cast featuring Olsen, Miles Teller, and Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eternity is poised to be another success for Olsen. In WandaVision‘s earlier sitcom-focused episodes, she showcased her comedic talents, which can translate well to Eternity and continue her non-MCU triumphs.
The MCU Needs Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Even If Olsen Doesn’t Need The MCU
Current And Upcoming Projects Feel Incomplete Without Her
The MCU has opened the door for other opportunities, but now it needs her more than she needs it. Other than briefly voicing Wanda Merlin in What If…? season 2, it has been two years since Wanda/Scarlet Witch appeared in the MCU, and her absence has been noticeable. Her scene with Vision and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War remains one of the MCU’s most powerful moments, WandaVision remains one of the MCU’s all-time best stories, and Scarlet Witch’s potential feels like it was needlessly undermined and cut short in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
It is difficult to imagine the stories of White Vision or Ultron being done well without Wanda being there.
Her absence is most noticeable in Agatha All Along, given that it is a WandaVision spinoff, she has an important history with Agatha Harkness, and it is a show about witches. Another spinoff, Marvel’s Vision Quest, is currently in development and will follow up on what happened to White Vision after the events of WandaVision. Vision Quest will also see James Spader returning as Ultron, who was the first villain Wanda defeated when joining the Avengers in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It is difficult to imagine the stories of White Vision or Ultron being done well without Wanda being there.
Wanda’s immense power, her connections to many prominent characters, and Olsen’s always terrific performances would also make her a natural fit for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, especially with the multiverse being integral to both those stories. She would work well as a hero or a villain as long as her role is properly developed. The lineup of heroes and villains will feel incomplete with her, regardless of who the lineup includes.
Scarlet Witch Probably Will Return To The MCU, But Hopefully Not At The Expense Of Olsen’s Other Roles
A Balance Would Be The Best
Despite what happened in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Scarlet Witch will likely return, as she is too important and beloved of a character for the MCU to never use again. If anything, she should have been a bigger part of the Multiverse Saga. Even Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, this time as Doctor Doom, after Tony Stark/Iron Man had an even more definitive ending than Scarlet Witch. Now that Downey is back, Olsen is one of the few actors whose confirmed return could generate a similar level of excitement and anticipation.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is replacing Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the Multiverse Saga’s overarching villain.
For nearly a decade, most of Olsen’s career was dedicated to the MCU playing Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, particularly when it came to the big screen. If she does return, hopefully, it will not dominate her career as much and will allow her to balance the MCU alongside the kind of role she had in His Three Daughters and her upcoming movies, The Assessment and Eternity. If this balance can happen, then Olsen’s career and those who enjoy watching her work can get the best of both worlds.
