From indie queen to Marvel-blockbuster maven, Elizabeth Olsen provides yet another string to her bow in the sci-fi thriller “The Assessment.”

The actress has demonstrated her versatility, from her role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in “Wandavision” to her portrayal of troubled suburban wife Candy Montgomery in the true-crime series “Love & Death,” which earned her Golden Globe nominations in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Her ability to take on diverse roles is a testament to her talent, and she takes it up a notch in  “The Assessment.”

At the Toronto Film Festival to promote her new film, she says, “I am mainly attracted to roles that are not like what I am used to playing. I also favor projects where I really feel I have a crush on my role or on the story,” she explained on the red carpet at the premiere. “I really need to have varied roles and to invest myself in films that are as different from each other as possible.”

“The Assessment” upends certain controversial principles. Set in a world destroyed by climate change, Olsen plays an agricultural biochemist who must undergo an assessment with her husband (Himesh Patel), an IA expert, in order to be granted approval to become parents. The film’s unique setting and the concept of “assessments” in a dystopian world make it a compelling watch.

“In this movie, we live in a totally different world where everyone can live a peaceful life, but the government has tight control over resources, so everyone is accountable and has to do assessments,” she explains. “The audience is going to be surprised to see a world that is very scary.”

The film shines a light on overpopulation in an environment where the government takes drastic measures to ensure the world is sustainably populated. They wield the ultimate power to permit who can and who cannot raise children. The couple’s lives are turned upside down when Virginia, an assessor, played by Swedish Golden Globe-nominated actress Alicia Vikander, takes them through a grueling process in order to assess their eligibility as potential parents before they can be granted a child. Virginia determines their fate.

“It’s a movie that really makes you think,” Olsen continues. “I’ve reached a point in my career where I’m looking to act in films that make you think. I think [Paris-based] Fleur Fortune is a brilliant new director who succeeds with this feature film in making us think about themes such as protecting our environment and the risks of dictatorial regimes.”

The film’s subject matter is indeed timely. “I’m really convinced that this film will not leave the audience indifferent,” Olsen assures.

After playing “Wanda Maximoff,” also known as the Scarlet Witch, in the Marvel universe, Olsen is content to continue reprising the role. “It’s a character that I love going back to when there’s a way to use her well, and I think I have been lucky that when I started, I was used well.”

Olsen, formerly known as “the younger sister of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley,” has stepped out from the shadow of her older siblings and has made a name for herself.