Los Angeles [US], May 1 : 'Ant-Man' actor Evangeline Lilly has expressed her opposition toward the recent Disney layoffs that have also hit a number of Marvel Studios staff members.
In an Instagram video, Lilly shared how she reached out to Marvel Studios' veteran Andy Park, who was also laid off by the company.
"I reached out to my good friend Andy Park, who was the genius behind creating the original Wasp super-suit and the original Wasp concept drawings for the film Ant-Man and the Wasp, and just said, 'Is this true? Is this really what's happening?' And he said, 'Yeah, it's true. I have been let go.' And I can't quite believe that Disney has let go of the artists who brought the Marvel Universe to life through their imagination and their genius," the Ant-Man star said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXuuTDNkld7/
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Park had worked with Marvel for nearly two decades, starting off with 2011's 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Thor'. He also went on to join the studio's other major projects across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the likes of 'Avengers: Endgame' and the much-awaited 'Avengers: Doomsday'.
In her video, Lilly added that she was shocked to see that people are being replaced by AI.
"The people who invented these characters, who designed them in the first place, are now being replaced by AI. AI that will take their designs and take what those artists created and use it to create iterations of that," she said.
Further in the caption, Lilly wrote, "To the @marvelstudios artists who designed and brought to life the glory days of Marvel...I salute you. I was there. I know what you did. I know how passionately you worked round the clock to make magic happen. You are the magicians, no matter what the Wizards of our new Oz make it look like going forward. I will never forget."
She slammed Disney Studios for turning their back on the "people who built the power you are now using to throw them away."
Evangeline Lilly joined the MCU in 2015 as Hope van Dyne (aka the Wasp) in 'Ant-Man'. She also appeared in the film's 2018 and 2023 sequels, followed by 'Avengers: Endgame'.
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