Ever since the earliest days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, handing out lengthy multi-picture contracts has been a standard practice, and much like the idea of an interconnected big screen mythology itself, it’s a tactic that the rest of Hollywood has also started adopting in the years following the franchise’s success.
Eyebrows were raised when Samuel L. Jackson was announced to have signed a nine-picture deal to play Nick Fury across the length and breadth of the MCU, and he’s since had to renegotiate his deal with Disney Plus duo What If…? and Secret Invasion set to mark his twelfth and thirteenth appearances. Similarly, Sebastian Stan joined on a seven-picture contract before debuting in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and fulfilled those commitments with Avengers: Endgame, while Chris Evans and Tom Holland both initially signed on for six.
However, not everyone gets afforded the same luxury, as illustrated by Elizabeth Olsen. The actress revealed in a new interview that she was originally only tied down for two movies and a cameo, which means that her first agreement with Marvel Studios expired after Captain America: Civil War.
“I signed on for two and a cameo. I’ve gone through three rounds of contracts with Marvel already. I just do like appetizers, they never have me over for a big meal. And it really has benefited me because they only continue to use me not because they have to, but because they think there’s a story that can be used. So even though I’ve had scheduling conflicts that have broken my heart in certain moments, I have always felt like they have a plan for me.”
Presumably, her first extension covered the Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame double header, with the second running through all nine episodes of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now that she’s established as the most powerful superhero in the entire MCU with a huge role to play in how the idea of alternate realities factors into the overarching narrative, and that’s without even mentioning her acclaimed performance in the aforementioned streaming exclusive, maybe Olsen will finally get one of those bumper contracts that so many of her co-stars have been handed over the years.