Elizabeth Olsen Accuses 'Empire Magazine' of Retouching Her on 'Avengers' Cover

Even superheroes can't escape their photos being altered. On Tuesday, actress Elisabeth Olsen called out Empire Magazine for editing her face on its new Avengers: Infinity War cover.

Olsen, 29, appears as character Scarlet Witch alongside fellow Avengers co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista. But she is unrecognizable, likely due to extreme edits. The Wind River actress took to Instagram to question Empire's adjustments to the relatively recognizable actress' fave, writing: "Does this look like me?"

 

April 27th... Does this look like me? #scarletwitch #infinitywar #avengers

A post shared by Elizabeth Olsen (@elizabetholsenofficial) on

Olsen wasn't the only person to question the cover image, as fans took to social media to criticize the publication. Many argued that "too much" editing was used, making the actress look "strange." The majority of commenters agreed that the picture didn't look like her.

"Empire magazine did not make any alteration to the Avengers: Infinity War artwork, supplied to them by Disney and Marvel Studios, that appears on the May 2018 cover," the publication said in a statement to Newsweek. The image is expected to appear on one of Empire's six Avengers-themed covers ahead of the upcoming film's April 27 release, IndieWire reported.

Olsen isn't the only high-profile name to suffer from an extreme retouching fail. On March 8, Riverdale stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes slammed Cosmopolitan Philippines for altering their waists.

Elisabeth Olsen
Actress Elizabeth Olsen accused "Empire Magazine" of Photoshopping her face in a special "Avengers: Infinity War" issue. Here, Olsen is pictured attending the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 3, 2018 in Santa Monica,... Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

"Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have," Reinhart wrote on her Instagram story. "It's an every day battle sometimes. And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have to overcome."

Mendes, 23, revealed she would no longer diet a month before the Cosmopolitan Philippines scandal occurred due to her previous "anxiety" around food. "At some point in my life, I allowed my obsession with being thin to consume me," she wrote on Instagram. "And I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns."

Zendaya, Meghan Trainor, Kerry Washington and Kim Kardashian West are among a growing list of stars who have accused publications of changing their pictures.

This story was updated to include a statement from Empire Magazine.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go