The Official Scarlet Witch Thread

[Mjölnir]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dent

Mastering English and speaking with an accent are different.

For me complete mastery means that you sound like a native. It helps being a spy a lot as well when you need to take on different identities.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Mjölnir

For me complete mastery means that you sound like a native. It helps being a spy a lot as well when you need to take on different identities.

If that's what she's doing, then during her down time when she's not undercover, why not drop the accent? Why does she need to keep up the charade? If she were to take on a German or Swiss identity, does she still even think in those languages and continue to speak like that, even if say, she were with Hawkeye and they're by themselves and no-one else is listening? She's not undercover within SHIELD as far as we know.

Anyone who has "complete mastery" over a language never does that, even if they sound like a native when they're speaking it. Natasha sounds as if she's been so subsumed into this "American" identity that she no longer seems Russian, and even if she were to go undercover as a different nationality, she might still slip back into American as if it were her default setting.

[zeroapoc]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dent

Mastering English and speaking with an accent are different.

Many, many spies have completely mastered a foreign accent.

[Jammat]

When you learn a language, the aim is to be understood, and to sound as much as a native as possible, this includes mastering the accent. It makes no sense to be able to speak with a western accent, but choose not to.

[zeroapoc]

Originally Posted by Dark Raven

If that's what she's doing, then during her down time when she's not undercover, why not drop the accent? Why does she need to keep up the charade? If she were to take on a German or Swiss identity, does she still even think in those languages and continue to speak like that, even if say, she were with Hawkeye and they're by themselves and no-one else is listening? She's not undercover within SHIELD as far as we know.

Anyone who has "complete mastery" over a language never does that, even if they sound like a native when they're speaking it. Natasha sounds as if she's been so subsumed into this "American" identity that she no longer seems Russian, and even if she were to go undercover as a different nationality, she might still slip back into American as if it were her default setting.

She's never, or hardly ever, around Russian accents. It probably is her default setting at this point.

[zeroapoc]

Originally Posted by Jammat

When you learn a language, the aim is to be understood, and to sound as much as a native as possible, this includes mastering the accent.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Jammat

When you learn a language, the aim is to be understood, and to sound as much as a native as possible, this includes mastering the accent. It makes no sense to be able to speak with a western accent, but choose not to.

Of course it makes sense. Hugh Laurie can speak in an American accent. He chooses not to when he's not playing House, because it's not his real accent. Same with the likes of Andrew Garfield or Henry Cavill, or conversely, Alexis Denisof and James Marsters who can sound like native Brits.

[Jammat]

Originally Posted by Dark Raven

Of course it makes sense. Hugh Laurie can speak in an American accent. He chooses not to when he's not playing House, because it's not his real accent. Same with the likes of Andrew Garfield or Henry Cavill, or conversely, Alexis Denisof and James Marsters who can sound like native Brits.

There's a difference between speaking your native tongue in the accent you learnt it in, and learning a new language in your own accent. The latter should be avoided (but is a lot of hard work).

When I had French evening classes recently, my teacher spent a lot of time trying to get me to lose my strong English language, because I am harder to understand to the French with a strong English accent. The more French my accent, the better I was speaking French.

[Mjölnir]

Originally Posted by Dark Raven

If that's what she's doing, then during her down time when she's not undercover, why not drop the accent? Why does she need to keep up the charade? If she were to take on a German or Swiss identity, does she still even think in those languages and continue to speak like that, even if say, she were with Hawkeye and they're by themselves and no-one else is listening? She's not undercover within SHIELD as far as we know.

Anyone who has "complete mastery" over a language never does that, even if they sound like a native when they're speaking it. Natasha sounds as if she's been so subsumed into this "American" identity that she no longer seems Russian, and even if she were to go undercover as a different nationality, she might still slip back into American as if it were her default setting.

When I speak English I don't have two modes where one is that I try to sound like a native speaker and the other is me having a Swedish accent. I only have one mode and that's me trying to speak English as it's supposed to sound in one of the native speaking regions. A language isn't just the words and the grammar, there are proper pronunciations as well and it's being taught in schools.

Me returning to a default would be actually speaking Swedish, not speaking English worse than I normally do.

For Natasha it's even more normal for her to speak with an American accent since if you move away and live in an English speaking country you will start to adapt that accent, especially as a non-native speaker. That of course goes for all languages when you move to a native-speaking region.

[zeroapoc]

^Great post.

[ericadawn16]

But if you're going to blend in as a super spy, you would want to be fully convincing as whoever you're supposed to be. As Natalie Rushman, she had to be completely American, no accent but I think she finds in the US, it's probably easier to blend in on a regular basis, and be forgettable, to have no accent.

I think of it similar to John Barrowman. When his family moved to the US, he lost his Scottish accent to blend in. Now he only talks with an accent among family.

It can be argued that she should have had an accent in the interrogation scene though.

Katie McGrath would probably be too obvious. I totally approve of Kaya Scodelario. How about Meghan Ory, Jillian Morgese or Gugu Mbatha-Raw?

[metaphysician]

So, how should Wanda's powers be handled? Bearing in mind that there won't be a Dr Strange movie prior to it, but there will be one after most likely. . . ambiguous energy manipulation? Probability manipulation, with causing unlikely events? Something else?

[Kahran Ramsus]

They can't make her too powerful or it will kill the drama.

[metaphysician]

I would say its not quite "powerful" that is the problem so much as "undefined." If she can do basically anything, that breaks the plot more than if she can trade blasts with Iron Man, because she becomes a walking deus ex machina.

Of course, part of the problem is that in the comics, that's often exactly what she is. . .

[bubbadoom]

Has Amy Acker been suggested for Wanda? I think she has the right look and Josh likes her...

[Joeyjojo72]

Never happen. i like her too, but they'll either cast an established movie star or an up and coming one. shes neither. plus it looks like they're going younger with the Maximoff's. hope to see her on Agents of SHIELD though.

[DarthSkywalker]

I just heard the Saoirse Ronan rumors. Yes. For the love of Zod yes.

[smashmode]

http://www.themarysue.com/exclusive-...scarlet-witch/

"I have heard about it and yes, I would. Yeah, of course I would. I love Joss and I love those films, and I love his handle on them and how he portrayed these kinds of superheroes. I think it’s very different from what anyone else has done. So yeah, I’d love to be in it.”

Joss wants Ronan, Ronan wants in. Make it happen.

[DarthSkywalker]

I just read that. Make it happen. For all that is glorious, make it happen.

[Whiskey Tango]

Do eet!

[Jake Cassidy]

This is kind of funny to me. Not so long along ago I was thinking that if First Class had a sequel (not DOFP) and Polaris were in it Ronan would be the best choice.

But it will be awesome if her as Scarlet Witch happens.

[DarthSkywalker]

Some have said Ronan's blonde hair would be a problem. She just spent a long while with dark red hair for a film.

[Whiskey Tango]

Wigs? Hair dyes? Get out of here with your futuristic science fiction gadgets!

[DarthSkywalker]

Originally Posted by Whiskey Tango

Wigs? Hair dyes? Get out of here with your futuristic science fiction gadgets!

It is a movie from the 23rd century.

[smashmode]

Originally Posted by DarthSkywalker

Some have said Ronan's blonde hair would be a problem. She just spent a long while with dark red hair for a film.