Elizabeth Olsen is reportedly the front runner to portray Scarlet Witch in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, after Saoirse Ronan passed on the role.

Back in May, Saoirse Ronan revealed that she would love to play Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Phase Two sequel, but it wasn't known if she had been offered the role. This came after Joss Whedon claimed to be writing the character with the actress in mind. Ultimately, the actress passed, with the studio now focusing their casting efforts on Elizabeth Olsen.

We reported in June that Kick-Ass 2 star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is being sought for Scarlet Witch's brother Quicksilver (a.k.a. Pietro Maximoff), but his casting has not been confirmed. In the Marvel comic books, Quicksilver possesses super-human speed, while Scarlet Witch has the power to control probabilities.

Joss Whedon is directing from his own screenplay, with the stars from Marvel's The Avengers reprising their roles along with a number of new characters. Production is scheduled to begin in February.

Elizabeth Olsen will next be seen in Kill Your Darlings, Oldboy and Godzilla.