‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Star Evangeline Lilly Didn’t Want Wasp Sexualized

Ant-Man and the Wasp made the latter titular hero into a new Marvel movie star - and a lot the character's success is due to the performance of Evangeline Lily. Lily made all of the effects-driven action look in Ant-Man and the Wasp look even more badass, thanks to her no-nonsense swagger as Hope van Dyne, and the former Lost and Hobbit actress didn't want that aspect of her character undercut by having an overly sexualized portrayal of Wasp.

Some spoilers for the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp below.

Speaking to MTV International during the Ant-Man and the Wasp press junket, Evangeline Lily explained why she didn't want her female heroine's sexuality to be her defining quality:

"The original comic book character is extremely feminine, which I wanted to honor, but she's also extremely sexualized. And I especially didn't want to mimic that part of the original. That was tricky to figure out: how do you make a woman clearly feminine and graceful, so that her movements are indicative of womanhood and delicacy and grace and elegance, without making her overtly sexual?

One of the advantages to that is that she has a suit that's head-to-toe covering absolutely everything, which was wonderful luxury. I'm so glad I wasn't in a mini-skirt and a bustier."

Suffice to say, Lily found her balance both literally in figuratively with the character, as Hope van Dyne's Wasp has become a new Marvel Cinematic Universe favorite -- another great female hero to stand alongside the ladies we saw throw down in Avengers: Infinity War. Up next will be Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, who will face a lot of the same challenge in the feminine vs. sexual balance, but looks to have also risen to it.

Lily is slated to return next in Avengers 4, though how extensive that return appearance will be is unclear. Hope van Dyne was vaporized by Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet snap along with her parents Janet and Hank Pym, as was revealed in the harrowing Ant-Man and the Wasp post-credits scene. So will Hope simply be one of the many Marvel heroes resurrected in Avengers 4? Or will Scott Lang (currently stranded in the Quantum Realm) be taking a time vortex escape route that will allow him to discover Hope at an earlier point in time (as suggested by some Avengers 4 set photos)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Avengers: Infinity War is now available on Digital platforms and lands on DVD and Blu-ray on August 14th. Ant-Man and the Wasp is now in theaters. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.