It’s official: Elizabeth Olsen is returning to the MCU as Scarlet Witch in 2025, but in a manner that I wasn’t necessarily expecting. While Scarlet Witch’s death at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been reaffirmed multiple times throughout the Multiverse Saga, I knew I was never alone in thinking that Marvel Studios would conjure a way for Wanda to return. The multiverse is vast, after all, and we have already seen one of her variants whose body Earth-616’s Wanda commandeered to pursue America Chavez (and murder the Illuminati) in Earth-838.

The fact is, Scarlet Witch’s tragic MCU arc wasn’t what she deserved, and her death after a villainous stint in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was too abrupt, even if heroic. Her villainy was borne out of desperation, love, and the insidious influence of the Darkhold, after all, and flew in the face of her otherwise far more virtuous persona. The problem is, it looks as though the MCU’s route to reintroducing Scarlet Witch may be doubling down on her role as a villain – though at this point, I’m just happy to see her return at all.

Elizabeth Olsen Is Confirmed To Return As Scarlet Witch In A 2025 MCU Release

Scarlet Witch Will Return In An Animated Spinoff

Elizabeth Olsen has recently been confirmed to reprise her role alongside a slew of other MCU actors in Marvel Zombies, which is due to land on Disney+ on October 3, 2025. This animated miniseries is something of a double-spinoff as it capitalizes on one of What If…?‘s most popular episodes, What if…Zombies?! in season 1. It continues the narrative established in that episode, taking place in an alternate universe where a zombie outbreak has taken hold of countless established and to-be-established MCU heroes. It will also be rated TV-MA, fully capitalizing on the classic zombie horror genre.

The zombie Scarlet Witch is the de facto arch-villain of the What If…? episode, proving to be a particularly formidable foe for the throng of MCU heroes who have yet to succumb to the quantum virus. She was last seen tussling with the Hulk as Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and Black Panther made their escape, though the remainder of their fight happens off-screen. With that in mind, it’s no real surprise to learn that the zombie Scarlet Witch will be returning in Marvel Zombies, though her power may be surpᴀssed by the zombie Thanos who wields five of the six Infinity Stones.

I Hope Scarlet Witch’s 2025 Return Means Elizabeth Olsen Will Be Back Again

Marvel Seems Happy To Keep Elizabeth Olsen In MCU Productions

I’ll reᴀssert that this wasn’t exactly where I had expected to see Scarlet Witch return, but I’m happy to see her back nonetheless. While What If…? tended to use different voice actors for established MCU characters, Elizabeth Olsen herself has confirmed that she is returning to voice the Scarlet Witch in Marvel Zombies. Speaking with Vulture in November, she expressed graтιтude for her relationship with the MCU and her ability to return to projects that mean something. Whether she’ll provide voice work beyond zombie growls and groans remains to be seen, however. Her full quote is as follows:

I’d never really had the mentality of ‘one for them, one for me.’ Marvel has been such a consistent thing I’ve been able to return to and has created — what’s the word? — some feeling of insurance in my life that has given me freedom to choose other jobs. So I haven’t felt like, ‘And then I’ll do this to do this.’ [It] has always felt like a choice. Every time, it’s character-driven. It’s always like, ‘We have this idea, and that’s why we want you to come back.’ It’s not like, ‘Just throw her in something.’

I think that Marvel’s decision to bring Olsen back is a good sign that she’ll reprise the role in live-action before long. After all, not only has Olsen restated her willingness to return to meaningful projects, but Marvel Studios is happy to keep her in the MCU zeitgeist by asking her to voice the character in a spinoff show. I’m intrigued to see just how much of a role the Scarlet Witch will play in Marvel Zombies, and remain hopeful that this will be a springboard to her return in another multiversal guise down the line.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Captain America: Brave New World

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  February 14, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Thunderbolts*

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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Source: Vulture