Actors performing their own stunts is a practice that has been around since the early days of cinema. It is a way for performers to bring a sense of realism and authenticity to their roles and showcase their physical abilities and dedication to their craft. While some actors crave the exhilaration of performing their own stunts on screen, Elizabeth Olsen is not among them.
Some actors like Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise are known for their willingness to do their own stunts. Both have performed numerous daring feats in their movies, including running down without harness from a high-rise building in Who Am I? to hanging off the side of a flying airplane in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. However, Elizabeth Olsen doesn’t fancy performing stunts, especially in MCU films.
Elizabeth Olsen Says It’s “Ridiculous” Doing Her Own Stunts: “There Is a Double for a Reason” https://t.co/0bfO1mCcbY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 23, 2023
Elizabeth Olsen Finds Stunts In MCU Films Absurd
In her recent appearance on The Late Show, the actress shared with Stephen Colbert that she considers the majority of the stunts she’s performed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to be “ridiculous.”
Elizabeth Olsen recounted a particular moment during the filming of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she was required to execute a stunt that involved being released from a height of 30 feet.
“They wanted to drop me pretty quickly so that it looked like it had an impact, but I kept landing like Peter Pan, kind of like fencing,” she said. “I was like, ‘Just use the double. This is so ridiculous. There is a double for a reason. Like, face replace.’ They do it all the time.”
While many fans supported the actress for being genuine, others thought it shouldn’t be an issue to perform stunts in a safe environment.
That being said we must appreciate how stars like Chaplin, B. Keaton, Li, Chan, Cruise, Yen, Theron & C. Hemsworth can combine acting and stunts. They set the standard for performers with their versatility. Their wide range of skills make the entertainment world that much richer.
— Brett Douglas McDowell (@brettdmcdowell) April 23, 2023
Don't see a problem with actors doing stunts as long as they aren't under pressure, fully trained and doing well planned and safe stunts. Same goes for any stunt person.
— Kloop (@Lop58086815) April 23, 2023
Tom Cruise when he sees this https://t.co/VgMdTRzbB2 pic.twitter.com/h0XhE7yzKD
— Queen in the North (@glacialtide) April 23, 2023
The problem is not just doing the stunt– it's doing it multiple times until you get a good take. Running on hard pavement is hard on the knees, for example. It's easy to injure yourself and not know that you're hurting yourself (i.e. repetitive stress injury).
— daytrader (@manfromuncle422) April 23, 2023
She's not wrong, that's what ended Santa Clarita Diet ended on Netflix because Drew Barrymore got injured doing her own stunts.
— ZeN (@zenthepoet) April 23, 2023
Elizabeth Olsen’s Stunt Made It To The Film
In the Marvel film directed by Sam Raimi, Elizabeth Olsen admitted that she didn’t perform all of her own stunts but did complete the majority of them. Despite this, the actress believed that it was a pointless endeavor since a stunt double could execute the task with much greater skill, and less effort.
Olsen said she did most of the stunts, “which is a waste of everyone’s time because a stunt double does it so much better.”
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), many actors have taken on the challenge of performing their own stunts to bring a greater sense of realism and intensity to their characters. For instance, Chris Evans, who played Captain America, is famous for performing many of his own stunts in the franchise, including the iconic helicopter scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: Twitter
