If you can’t quite remember how many TV show you watched over the past year, you’re not alone. But chances are you remember the great ones — the ones that made you laugh, cry, yell at the TV, and want to watch six more seasons (even if there were only a few available for streaming at the time). What makes TV so addictive and indelible, as we know, are the characters on the shows we love, the ones who start to feel like we know them.
That’s something all five nominees in the Best Performance in a Show category have in common — we care about them and their stories. But on Sunday May 16 at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards, there could only be one winner. And that winner, as it turns out, was pretty super.
Elizabeth Olsen — also known as Westview, New Jersey’s own Wanda Maximoff — nabbed the award for her nine-episode turn in Disney+’s meta sitcom WandaVision. And during her acceptance speech, she shouted out the fans, of course.
“That’s crazy, you guys, crazy,” she said onstage next to her Golden Popcorn statue. “Marvel fans, you guys are just the greatest fans anyone can have.”
With co-presenter Eric Andre riling the crowd up for louder applause, then bowing to her as she entered, Olsen also took a moment to reflect back on how long Maximoff has been part of her life. “I’ve loved playing this part for seven years,” she said with a touch of incredulity in her voice at the length of time. “Really, nothing could’ve been better than to have WandaVision. We had so much fun making it. I hope we have moved you. I hope we entertained you.”
As the grief-stricken titular tortured hero, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, Olsen captivated in a thrilling new chapter for a character that didn’t get to explore her own deep story in the Avengers films. Dipping into whole ‘60s sitcom zaniness, ‘90s multi-cam normcore network programming, witty 2000s mockumentary quips, and beyond, WandaVision‘s surface quirk belied a deeper resonance about trauma and letting go — territory she fruitfully and emotionally explored in the series’ darker moments.
To nab the Golden Popcorn in this category, Olsen beat out Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit, Elliot Page in The Umbrella Academy, Emma Corrin in The Crown, and Michaela Coel in I May Destroy You. The trophy for Olsen marks WandaVision’s first win of the night. The show itself is up for three other trophies tonight, including Best Show, Best Villain, and Best Fight.
The 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards are airing live right now from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Find the complete winners list right here.
