Elizabeth Olsen, better known as the little sister of actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, could emerge from her siblings' shadow in a big way if rumors are accurate about her signing on to Marvel's "The Avengers" franchise in the role of the Scarlet Witch.
Director Joss Whedon is continuing to line up talent for "Avengers: Age of Ultron," scheduled to start shooting in early 2014 for a May 2015 release date.
Brendan Connelly of
BleedingCool.com reported that the new focus is on
Elizabeth Olsen in the Scarlet Witch role after Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan passed on the project.
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"I always feel awkward reporting on these 'second choice' moments, but then I remember how Harrison Ford probably hasn’t ever woken up in a cold sweat from a Tom Selleck nightmare and I feel a bit better about it," Connelly wrote Tuesday. "Olsen is a great choice, I think, because she’s a pretty good choice for anything. The girl can act, she’s got charisma and she’s smart."
MTV.com noted the younger Olsen has taken on challenging leading roles in indie films "Liberal Arts" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene." Olsen will likely receive additional attention in the upcoming Spike Lee film "Oldboy" and a "Godzilla" reboot next year.
If Olsen signs on, she will play alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, of the "Kick-Ass" franchise, as the brother-sister team of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch,
according to CinemaBlend.com.
CinemaBlend.com reported that signing Olsen and the actress acquiring a "European accent" for the part may be less of a problem than figuring out the legalities of using the characters because the Marvel movie universe has become a victim of its own success.
In Marvel's comic book world, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are mutants, children of X-Men's Magneto. The X-Men portion of Marvel is owned by 20th Century Fox, thus making Disney's ability to explain Scarlet Witch's and Quicksilver's origins a little problematic for longtime comic book followers.
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Last year, "Marvel's The Avengers" went on to shatter box office records, raking in $623 million domestically and $1.5 billion worldwide,
according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
Marvel has already lined up the next series of movies the lay the groundwork of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which started earlier this summer with Robert Downey Jr.'s "Iron Man 3" and the November release of "Thor: The Dark World."
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