Last January, near the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Evangeline Lilly attended a rally against vaccination mandates in Washington, DC (you'll find more details here).
The Lost actress had previously shared some controversial vaccination views on social media, but the rally really put her in the firing line, and rumors soon sprang up that Marvel Studios was considering replacing her in the role of Hope van Dyne, aka the Wasp, in the MCU.
Of course, that never happened, and Lilly can currently be seen as the pint-sized hero in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But was there ever any chance that the studio might take some kind of action?
While being interviewed for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Lilly revealed that Marvel was fully "respectful" of her stance, and she even received a call from director Peyton Reed assuring her that there was no truth to the recasting rumors.
"They’re very respectful. In fact, I’ve had direct conversations with them that I have instigated and they’ve always said, 'That’s not our business. That’s not for us to tell you how to live your life or what opinions to have.' And I actually even got a really supportive phone call from [Ant-Man director] Peyton Reed at one point and just saying like, 'Just so you know, there’s some rumors spreading about Marvel ditching you or canceling you. And that didn’t come from Marvel and that didn’t come from us, so just ignore that.'"
Disney/Marvel encountered a similar situation with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Letitia Wright, so it seems the MCU powers that be really are respectful of their actors' personal views - whether that's ultimately a good or bad thing is obviously open for debate.
What do you guys make of Lilly's comments? Have you been to see Ant-Man 3 yet? If so, let us know what you made of the first Phase 5 movie down below.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.