Ant-Man 3 Star Evangeline Lilly Is A Bit Behind On Her MCU 'Homework'
There are so many movies and so little time. It's a problem that haunts us all and according to "Ant-Man and the Wasp" actress Evangeline Lilly, that even includes the stars of said movies. No one can watch everything and, as if the general barrage of new movies isn't enough, Lilly is part of the bursting-at-the-seams Marvel Cinematic Universe, which just added TV series to its overwhelming docket of new things. So if you've been having trouble keeping up with all that's new in the MCU, you're not alone.
In an interview with Collider, Lilly admitted that she has quite a bit of Marvel homework to catch up on. Thanks to the newly launched Disney+, and a super-sized slate of projects, new episodes and movies from Marvel are starting to become a weekly occurrence. Four different MCU series have already run their course in the past year, with "Black Widow" and "Shang-Chi" premiering in-between. And somehow, there's still more down the line. Things are starting to get a little out of hand so it won't be shocking to learn that Lilly is having some trouble keeping up. She said:
"I have not seen all of it, and I do try. I see it almost as homework, like I need to know what's going on in the world. I need to understand when there's references made in scripts, I need to know what's going on."
In Praise of WandaVision
Lilly admitted that while she has seen both "Wandavision" and "Loki," she's still finding time for "Black Widow" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." But make no mistake, along with actually starring in these films, Lilly is a big fan of the MCU. She had nothing but praise for the Wanda Maximoff spin-off series, which she deemed "phenomenal." She went on to say:
"I think it was the best they've ever represented a female character. It was so incredible to see her be so complicated and so flawed, and yet so redeemable and so lovable, the way we have typically, historically treated our male characters."
Evangeline Lilly is no stranger to MCU characters who deserve their time in the spotlight. She's played the role of Hope Van Dyne – Hank Pym's daughter who helped train Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) before finally taking on the Wasp mantle from her mother — in quite a few movies now. While most of the first film was spent preparing Scott, Hope got to shine in its sequel, "Ant-Man and the Wasp." The third film in their saga will keep her spotlight going, as things get a little wilder for the two heroes.
What To Expect From Quantumania
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" remains a mystery and given the Marvel reputation for secrets, that's not likely to change any time soon. For now, the closest we can get is a few teases from those who have actually read the script — such as one of the movie's stars herself. Lilly was (unfortunately) very careful not to give away any plot points, but did share her thoughts on the script. She spoke especially highly of "Quantumania" writer Jeff Loveness, telling Collider:
"I think he is phenomenal. I think he's one of the best writers we've ever had. I think he's got an incredible mastery of voice. So, on the page, I could hear all the characters, and I knew that he'd really kind of harnessed each person's unique personality. I just think that it's going to be really special. I actually think it has the chance to be the best one we've done yet."
The "Ant-Man" movies have been comfortably funny thus far — a welcome lightness in the midst of Marvel's darker films. The sequel made for a perfect follow-up to "Avengers: Infinity War," taking a step away from the chaos of the universe ending to watch Hope and Scott kick some low-level villain ass. This time around, they might find a darker enemy in Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror. Perhaps the only thing we know of "Quantumania" so far is the dangerous adversary they'll be up against, teased earlier this year in "Loki." But other than the chaos he's sure to wreak, Loveness' script sounds well worth getting hyped about. As a writer, he has a long history in comedy, with five "Rick and Morty" episodes under his belt and credits writing for Jimmy Kimmel, the Emmys, and the Academy Awards. He's clearly earned a big fan in Lilly, but the rest of us have quite a wait: "Quantumania" is currently filming in Atlanta, and is expected to debut in 2023.
Of course, even with the "Ant-Man" sequel two years away, we have more than enough Marvel homework to keep ourselves busy.