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‘Doctor Strange 2’ star Elizabeth Olsen on how Scarlett Johansson taught her to be a superhero

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Actress Elizabeth Olsen’s character Wanda Maximoff in the ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is at her most complex, as her relationship with the title character essayed by English star Benedict Cumberbatch, grows more tangled over the course of the film.

However, Olsen, whose portrayal of the mystical Scarlet Witch has made her a consistent MCU fan favourite, says that no matter what Wanda goes through, she’ll continue to defend the character, reports ‘Variety’.

“I remember people saying at the end of ‘Wandavision’. ‘She has no accountability’,” Olsen told ‘Variety’ senior entertainment reporter Angelique Jackson on the red carpet at the ‘Multiverse of Madness’ premiere on Monday.

“She’s gonna take accountability for herself, she’s gonna isolate, she’s gonna think about it, and she’s gonna grow.”

Although ‘Multiverse of Madness’ is a sequel to the 2016 ‘Doctor Strange’ film, it also follows many of the plot threads of the critically acclaimed Disney+ series ‘Wandavision’, which saw Olsen and Paul Bettany headline as Wanda and the android Vision.

Olsen jumped into filming on ‘Doctor Strange 2’ right after she wrapped ‘Wandavision’.

“Getting to do ‘Wandavision’ and then coming into this film, my priority was, how do we continue the thread, but how do we also make it different?” Olsen recalled.

“How is there an evolution, how can we keep it exciting for the fans? And how can we ground her and show them something they haven’t seen yet? And I’m really looking forward for the fan response after this film. I think everyone’s in for a ride.”

‘Wandavision’ is one of the most well-received MCU projects, garnering multiple Emmy nominations, including nods for Olson, Bettany and Kathryn Hahn.

However, because the series premiered early 2021, amid the Covid pandemic lockdowns, Olsen didn’t get to experience the glitz and glamour of a premiere party or the in-person fan response to the show until the ‘Multiverse of Madness’ press tour.

“It’s really surreal. I keep hearing about the response, but it’s hard to actually connect with it until you’re actually at a premiere like this,” Olsen said.

“It’s wild. This is eight years now for me with Marvel, and I just feel so grateful to still be here and to have grown this character to what she’s become. But I’m also grateful to Kevin Feige for giving me the opportunity to do ‘Wandavision’ and having the idea.”

In addition to continuing Wanda’s story, ‘Multiverse of Madness’ introduces a new superhero, 16-year-old Xochitl Gomez as the reality-hopping America Chavez. Olsen shared how impressed she was by the young actor’s poise when joining the MCU.

“She has such a vitality to her, she has so much confidence being so young,” Olsen said.

“She has so much confidence being so young. I was 25 when I started, and she’s way better off than I was when I started.”

Olsen made her MCU debut in 2015’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’.

Much like Gomez looked to her to learn the superhero ropes while filming ‘Multiverse of Madness,” Olsen studied franchise veteran Scarlett Johansson, who played Black Widow across several films, reports ‘Variety’.

“I remember being on ‘Ultron’ and seeing how she was with the crew,” Olsen shared.

“I was just amazed by her ease and her comfort and how she includes the crew in everything, and how she makes everyone part of the team and feel excited to come to work. And I’ve really taken that into my life since then.”

Olsen said that it’s a little “shocking” to now be in the position of a pseudo-mentor, but “it’s amazing that we’ve gone through (iterations of the MCU) and it’s been this long, that now we have these different ages of women”.

Bollywood

Yash was surprised to learn that Kiara Advani had never done a rain sequence before ‘Toxic’

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Mumbai, Aug 14: Yash revealed that he was surprised to learn that Kiara Advani had never done a rain sequence before ‘Toxic’, despite spending so many years in Bollywood.

Addressing the album launch event of ‘Toxic’ in Mumbai, Yash shared that when he asked Kiara if she had done a rain sequence, she said no, and he convinced her that it was going to be easy.

Yash was heard saying, “When Kiara came into this film, I was a little worried because it is too demanding. The first time we spoke, I asked her, ‘have you ever done the rain sequence?’ and she said, ‘Never, how is it?’ And I was like ‘Oh, all these years you have worked and you have never done a rain sequence’. She said, ‘No’. And I said, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be good, easy’.”

Yash also praised Kiara, saying that the actress came with 100% commitment despite being pregnant with her daughter at the time of the shoot.

He revealed that he and director Geetu Mohandas were extremely scared and acted like Kiara’s bodyguard during the shoot.

“And then I saw the way she dedicated herself, and I must say, even after she was pregnant, she came with 100% commitment. We all were so scared. I was more worried. Gitu was more worried. We were more like bouncers or bodyguards, where we used to take care of her. But she has really dedicated herself. So thank you, Kiara. This one is special,” the ‘KGF’ actor went on to add.

Yash even went on to call another leading lady from ‘Toxic’, Tara Sutaria, a ‘stunning beauty’.

“I was told, ‘You know in your whole movie the character what she is playing that looks authentic like a Disney queen or a character from that era’. So that makes me a little conscious standing next to her that I am not looking according to the period or because she is so good looking that that’s making me look little local,” he said.

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Yash calls co-star Sudev Nair the ‘Invisible Pillar’ of Toxic

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Mumbai, Aug 13: Yash lauded his ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ co-star Sudev Nair for his immense commitment and contribution to the highly anticipated action-thriller.

Speaking during the grand trailer launch event for ‘Toxic’, Yash called Sudev the ‘invisible pillar’ behind the movie, singling him out as one of the movie’s key backbones.

The ‘KGF’ actor even went as far as to say that ‘Toxic’ would not have happened if it weren’t for Sudev.

Yash expressed his deep gratitude to Sudev, saying, “If not for Sudev, this movie wouldn’t have happened. Every time somebody’s dates could not be accommodated, he would make up for it.”

Yash also revealed that Sudev acted as an “invisible pillar” during the production of the action entertainer.

He shared that Sudev stepped up continuously, making sure that the shooting schedules remained uninterrupted despite complex date clashes among the cast.

Going by the recently released trailer of ‘Toxic’, the eagerly awaited actioner talks about the complex relationship between Raya and his son, Ticket, both roles played by Yash. These two are surrounded by a web of relationships and rivalries.

The power-packed preview included all the elements of a masala entertainer – striking visuals, jaw-dropping action, intense characters, and complicated relationships.

Made under the direction of Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic’ enjoys a promising cast with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Akshay Oberoi, and Sudev Nair in key roles, along with others.

Backed by KVN Productions, along with Monster Mind Creations, ‘Toxic’ is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on 26 August.

Shot simultaneously in English and Kannada, ‘Toxic’ will also be available to the audience in dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.

The camerawork for the drama has been performed by Rajeev Ravi, whereas Ujwal Kulkarni has looked after the editing department of the film.

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Mini Mathur calls ‘Alliance’ the best digital detox experiences of her life: Had so much fun

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Mumbai: Mini Mathur, the winner of the reality show ‘Alliance’, called it the best digital detox experience of her life. She shared that she did not miss her phone at all during her time in the show.

Mini said that, given it was her first experience of a reality show, she was surprised that she ended up having so much fun.

The ‘Mind the Malhotras’ actress was asked, “This was your first reality show, while many contestants had years of experience in this space. How challenging was the learning curve in the beginning, and what surprised you the most?”

Mini believes that the fact that she did not enter the show with any preconceived notion ended up working in her favour.

“I did not come with the sole intention of winning. Of course, I did not come to lose either, but my focus was simply to enjoy every challenge and give it my best. I think people connected with that enthusiasm,” she added.

Explaining her strategy for ‘Alliance’, Mini added, “Many people told me that reality shows are all about creating drama, speaking to the cameras, and manufacturing conflicts. But I never wanted to be known for that. I wanted people to see me exactly as I am—authentic. That is how I played the game.”

Talking about her learning curve, she said, “The learning curve lasted through the first couple of weeks. Fortunately, many contestants were also new to reality television, so we were all learning together. That made the environment much more comfortable because there were fewer preconceived ideas.”

Mini also revealed how the show unexpectedly turned out to be a fun experience for her, also becoming the best digital detox of her life.

“What surprised me the most was how much fun I ended up having. I honestly thought I would come out mentally exhausted, physically drained, and probably needing therapy. Instead, I came out feeling sharper, more focused, and fitter than I have felt in a very long time,” she concluded.

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