The Marvel Universe is expanding yet again with the release of Ant-Man and The Wasp, the sequel to 2015's Ant-Man, on July 6. In its title alone, the film is a small step forward for gender equity in the superhero franchise: With Evangeline Lilly (you might recognize her as Kate from Lost) and Paul Rudd starring in the titular roles, it's the first time that Marvel has ever released a movie with male and female characters equally sharing the bill.
That significance isn't lost on Lilly, who shared in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that playing Hope van Dyne, a.k.a. The Wasp, required her to speak up on set about the character's trajectory and representation in practically every scene. Off camera, Lilly made a point to advocate for herself and her character to her male costars and coworkers, despite societal norms that tell women to stay quiet. "[I] think there is an unconscious message for little girls and women that when you challenge men in the midst of doing something juvenile or fun, then you're a heavy, a killjoy, a ball and chain," she said. "And all my life I grew up thinking, 'I swear I won't be that way, I'll be cool, I'll be fun, I'm going to be the chick that can hang with the guys.'"
But that approach changed while reprising her role for the new film: "[I] really challenged myself on this film to shut out all of those critical voices and the male pressures to conform and to really stand up and be a female voice in this world," she told THR.
Lilly, best known for her roles in Lost and 2013's The Hobbit, explained that acting in sci-fi and action roles often leads to scenarios where women are overlooked or ignored—forcing her to speak up. "I think I always tried to offer a perspective of my gender that maybe wasn't offered as much because I live in worlds that are boys' clubs," she said. "In the sci-fi/fantasy space of Hollywood, it's even more predominately male than in some of the other dramatic spaces, so I'm used to trying to be that voice in the room."
Part of challenging the patriarchy came from interpreting traditionally "feminine" qualities as strengths for her character. "Even for the first film, it was very important to me that Hope be an extremely empathetic and compassionate person. And I still did that while having that stereotypical or archetypical [quality] of femininity of being nurturing, compassionate, empathetic," she explained. "Men can of course be compassionate or feminine, but femininity is at the core of what is disrespected in the patriarchy, so it was important to me to always push for feminine qualities to be apparent when she is dealing with situations—how she emotionally reacts to them, [for instance]."
Lilly added that double standards weren't just on her mind while filming: They also manifest in the challenges she faced as a mother and a professional. "[I] just want to be very open and honest about how difficult it is for me to strike that balance," she said about working full-time while raising her children. "I don't think it's easy for any mother who works. And I've grappled with this a lot: Is it harder for women to work and be a mother than it is for fathers to work and be fathers?"
Lilly thinks the answer is, unfortunately, yes. But with her new film, she's optimistic that women can see multifaceted characters like themselves represented onscreen. "I think it's really fresh and really fun to see a woman who knows how to take a joke and roll with things, but also can get the job done," she concluded.
You can see the results of her self-advocacy yourself when Ant Man and The Wasp hits theaters on Friday, July 6.
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