Marvel Studios confirmsElizabeth Olsenwill be returning to theMarvel Cinematic Universein 2025 as part of the cast of an upcoming project. Olsen last appeared in the MCU in 2022, playingScarlet Witch inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There, Olsen’s Marvel character took a villainous turn thanks to being corrupted by the Darkhold and became a fearsome foe for Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as she sought to use the powers of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) to travel the multiverse and reunite with her sons.
At theend ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda saw the error of her ways, and destroyed the Darkhold across the entire multiverse. To do so, she brought down the Darkhold Castle on Mount Wundagore, killing herself in the process. Although Marvel has confirmed repeatedly thatScarlet Witch is dead, the reincarnation of her son Billy Maximoff inAgatha All Along, and his mission to find his twin brother Tommy, has inspired hope for Olsen’s character to return in some form.
Today, Marvel Studios' parent company Disney unveiled new information about a slew of 2025 projects, including official cast lists and release dates. Elizabeth Olsen is listed as part of the cast forMarvel Zombies, confirming her return to the MCU. The character of Zombie Scarlet Witch first appeared inWhat If…?season 1, episode 5, “What If… Zombies?!” Further, Disney confirmedMarvel Zombieswill premiere Friday, June 28, 2025.
Katy (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Shang-Chi (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Elizabeth Olsen
Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Avengers: Age of Ultron-Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
Jimmy Woo (Ant-Man and the Wasp-Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)
What Elizabeth Olsen’s 2025 MCU Return Means
The Actress Will Have Played Scarlet Witch For 10 Years
With Olsen returning in2025’sMarvel Zombiestelevision show, the actress will officially have been part of the MCU for over a decade, since her first appearance was in 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron. In that time, Olsen’s Scarlet Witch has become one of the most beloved returning characters in the franchise, alongside fellow heroes-turned-villains like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. However, unlike Bucky and Loki, Scarlet Witch hasn’t been given an opportunity to redeem herself after her villainous turn inMultiverse Of Madness.
The official synopsis forMarvel Zombiesreleased by Disney is: “It’s ‘Marvel Zombies’!”
It’s unlikely Scarlet Witch will get that chance inMarvel Zombies, since she’ll likely be playing a variant of Wanda, one who may be a zombie. As shown inWhat If…?, Zombie Scarlet Witch is a very powerful character because she maintains her abilities derived from Chaos Magic. The character only makes creepy sounds and, as such, Olsen didn’t voice Zombie Scarlet Witch inWhat If…?, which begs the question of how she’ll factor into the voice cast ofMarvel Zombies. That remains to be seen until more details about the story are released.
Our Take On Elizabeth Olsen’s 2025 MCU Return
It’s A Good Sign For Marvel’s Future Plans
An appearance inMarvel Zombiesmay not be the MCU return I, or other Scarlet Witch fans, have been hoping for, but it does indicate Marvel sees her character as important to the larger franchise. Given Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feige’s recent comments on Scarlet Witch, where he said,“We are excited to find out when and how Scarlet Witch can return,“there’s further hope that Olsen will return to the MCU in live-action one day. How that happens remains to be seen, but until then, I’m excited forElizabeth Olsento be inMarvel Zombiesnext year.
Marvel Zombies
Cast
Released on Disney+, Marvel Zombies is the continuation of Marvel’s What If…? episode 5, where an animated version of the MCU is overrun by zombies.
