After two successful entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man 3  was looking to be another hit. Unfortunately, actress Evangeline Lilly got herself in trouble with her thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic. Things have gotten so bad, her role in the film could drastically change.

Not Going The Distance

With the coronavirus, it’s important to stay inside as much as possible. On Instagram, Lilly talked about not having her family self-isolate along with everyone else. As expected, many people were upset with how she handled the situation at hand. Lilly didn’t back down from her decision, though. “I bet we would completely agree on what we want and what we are trying to avoid, and then would challenge each other thoughtfully about how to achieve that. I’m having those conversations daily with people in my inner circle and am always considering and reconsidering my position,” she replied in the comments. “Where we are right now feels a lot too close to Marshall Law [sic] for my comfort already, all in the name of a respiratory flu. It’s unnerving.”

To make things worse, Lilly currently lives with her father, who has stage 4 leukemia. “I am also immune-compromised at the moment. I have two young kids. Some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make our choices,” Lilly stated in the comments.

Taking It All Back

After her controversial statements, Lilly made an apology for upsetting people during this serious time. “I want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology for the insensitivity I showed in my previous post to the very real suffering and fear that has gripped the world through COVID19. Grandparents, parents, children, sisters, and brothers are dying, the world is rallying to find a way to stop this very real threat, and my ensuing silence has sent a dismissive, arrogant and cryptic message.” To Lilly, her original statements were supposed to light-hearted. “When I wrote that post 10 days ago, I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria. I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation,” Lilly also stated. Many fans have been vocal about Marvel Studios firing the actress because of her words.

 

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Hello everyone. I am writing you from my home where I have been social distancing since Mar 18th – when social distancing was instituted in the small community where I am currently living. At the time of my Mar 16th post, the directives from the authorities here were that we not congregate in groups of more than 250ppl and that we wash our hands regularly, which we were doing. Two days later, those directives changed and, despite my intense trepidation over the socioeconomic and political repercussions of this course of action, PLEASE KNOW I AM DOING MY PART TO FLATTEN THE CURVE, PRACTICING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING HOME WITH MY FAMILY. I want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology for the insensitivity I showed in my previous post to the very real suffering and fear that has gripped the world through COVID19. Grandparents, parents, children, sisters and brothers are dying, the world is rallying to find a way to stop this very real threat, and my ensuing silence has sent a dismissive, arrogant and cryptic message. My direct and special apologies to those most affected by this pandemic. I never meant to hurt you. When I wrote that post 10 days ago, I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria. I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation. I am grieved by the ongoing loss of life, and the impossible decisions medical workers around the world must make as they treat those affected. I am concerned for our communities – small businesses and families living paycheck-to-paycheck – and I am trying to follow responsible recommendations for how to help. Like many of you, I fear for the political aftermath of this pandemic, and I am praying for us all. At the same time, I am heartened by the beauty and humanity I see so many people demonstrating toward one another in this vulnerable time. When I was grappling with my own fears over social distancing, one kind, wise and gracious person said to me “do it out of love, not fear” and it helped me to realize my place in all of this. Sending love to all of you, even if you can’t return it right now. EL

A post shared by Evangeline Lilly (@evangelinelillyofficial) on Mar 26, 2020 at 1:29pm PDT

A Smaller Role?

One rumor states Lilly’s comments will lead to a decreased role in Ant-Man 3. In the forthcoming movie, her character Hope van Dyne/Wasp is slated to be a supporting character instead. This will be a huge blow for Lilly, who had the co-lead spot in the first two Ant-Man movies. Marvel Studios is looking to change Ant-Man 3‘s plot entirely because of this situation. The new plot looks to follow Cassie Lang’s journey to becoming the superhero Stature. In the comic books, Stature becomes a member of the Young Avengers. Actress Emma Fuhrmann portrayed the character in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Another Setback For Marvel

Lilly’s comments is another dent in Marvel Studios’ forthcoming projects. The coronavirus pandemic forced the studio to push back Black Widow‘s release date. The film was originally slated for release on May 1. Marvel Studios was also forced to stop production on their Disney+ programs, including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. Their forthcoming film Shang-Chi, which stars Simu Liu and Awkwafina, was also put on hold until further notice.

“Ant-Man 3″ is slated to start production at the beginning of 2021. Peyton Reed, who directed the first two films, will return to direct the third movie. Aside from Lilly, Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas have confirmed to return for another round. Ant-Man 3 is slated to be released sometime in 2022. Many are hoping the coronavirus epidemic will be slowed down for things to run on time.