Elizabeth Olsen Sought for Scarlet Witch Role in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'

With two guys playing Quicksilver in two different Marvel movies, Aaron Taylor-Johnson seeming to have the role in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Evan Peters in Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past, lost in the shuffle a little bit has been the role of Scarlet Witch. Joss Whedon has said that she and Quicksilver will be important to his film, and befitting such a role he was high on landing Saoirse Ronan to play her. But now it appears she has decided to pass, and Whedon is looking at another actress who may be an even better fit.

Our friend Brendon Connelly at Bleeding Cool says that Elizabeth Olsen is now the top choice for the role of Wanda "Scarlet Witch" Maximoff, a mutant with the gift of chaos magic. Her mutant heritage, which includes her father Magneto, can't be mentioned in the film so Whedon will have to come up with a different explanation for her powers, which make her one of the strongest and unpredictable characters in the Marvel universe. Olsen got her career off to a impressive start in indie thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene and has since dabbled in both blockbusters and art house productions. She'll be seen next in the Beat Generation film Kill Your Darlings, followed by Spike Lee's Oldboy and then Godzilla. She's a terrific talent, and while she may not be the most obvious choice to play Scarlet Witch, there's little doubt she can pull it off.

Filming on The Avengers: Age of Ultron should begin early next year for release on May 1st 2015.