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Why Filming Vision's Infinity War Death Was Embarrassing For Wanda Actor
Elizabeth Olsen recalls the embarrassing experience of filming Vision's death in Avengers: Infinity War. More than three years have passed since the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed film kicked off the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga. Despite that, it remains a favorite topic of conversation, even hailed by some as MCU's best film thus far thanks to a lot of memorable moments and its stunning cliffhanger ending.
Boasting a massive ensemble cast, Marvel Studios had to get creative to give each character their time in the spotlight. That involved grouping the heroes into mini-teams while Thanos went through them one-by-one, with Iron Man's squad taking the fight to outer space while Captain America and other grounded heroes remained on Earth. Amidst a crowded film, however, Olsen did some of her best work as Wanda Maximoff. Aside from finally getting to show off the character's true power, the movie also featured a few gut-wrenching scenes between her and Vision. That included the synthezoid's death at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, with Wanda forced to kill her lover herself. According to Olsen, though, filming the moment was a bit different than what ended up onscreen.
Speaking with Variety, Olsen recalls filming Vision's death in Avengers: Infinity War and dubbing it as an embarrassing moment. The embarrassment stemmed from some improvising as well as the pressure of filming such a pivotal scene. Read Olsen's full answer below:
Quote:
So, it’s very embarrassing shooting those kinds of things, because, like, the world depends on you doing it. And we did some improvising, which is hard to improvise those moments. But it also felt good, because at that point, Paul [Bettany] and I really had each other’s back. It was one of the last things we shot. I felt really comfortable with him as an actor if we had to improvise that beat a little bit. We were trying to find it, with the Russos guiding us. And then, once it was over, it was a huge amount of relief. And I just remember being giggly the rest of the day, while Brolin had his helmet on. And I don’t know. These movies are very silly, but you have to act your ass off for them to work. Because you’re like — [holds out her hand]. Ugh, I’m doing this in public. But you have one hand out that’s stopping something with energy. And then you’ve got another hand that’s extracting this fake thing from this dotted face. And it’s painful and emotional.
What's Next For Wanda & Vision In The MCU
Marvel Studios developed Wanda and Vision's romance on the sidelines for most art of the Infinity Saga as the franchise focused on tackling the original Avengers story. That all changed in the Multiverse Saga, which was kicked off by WandaVision on Disney+ — the first project that Olsen and Bettany co-headlined. The nine-episode series remains one of the strongest entries in Phase 4 thus far thanks to its unique premise and the committed performances from Bettany and Olsen. Unfortunately, it ended with Wanda and Vision parting ways once again. While Marvel Studios remains mum about their arcs moving forward, there's hope that, ultimately, they will reunite in the future. Individually, there are several upcoming projects that the characters could return in. Vision could certainly appear in Armor Wars or even Ironheart. Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch may re-emerge in Agatha: Coven of Chaos or even Loki season 2.
Olsen and Bettany's experience filming Vision's Avengers: Infinity War makes their performance in the film so much more impressive. It's no secret that MCU films rely heavily on CGI work and that could be difficult for some actors to come around with when filming. Vision and Wanda, in particular, need so much VFX work when using their powers. Add Josh Brolin's ridiculous set look as Thanos and a lot of crew members watching them, it's understandable why Olsen was embarrassed, but the way the scene turned out should be something that she is extremely proud of.
