Evangeline Lilly looks off into the distance and prepares to fight as Wasp

Evangeline Lilly made the surprising announcement that she’s stepping away from acting, putting her role as Wasp in the MCU in doubt following her most recent appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Though Lilly rose to fame by portraying Kate in Lost from 2004-2010, she joined the MCU in 2015, playing Hope Van Dyne in Ant-Man. She took on the Wasp mantle in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and reprised the role in Avengers: Endgame and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

However, her time as Wasp could be over after she shared a recent Instagram Reel featuring a surprise announcement. The reel features footage of the actor from 2006, when she shared her dreams for her life and career 10 years later. Attached to the video is a lengthy caption where she expresses gratitude towards her career, but says she’s walking away from acting. Lilly didn’t say if she’s officially done playing Wasp, but she did say, “I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong,” indicating she has no acting plans anytime soon.

Will Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp Return In A Future MCU Movie?

Avengers 5 & 6 Could Bring Back Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp fighting Kang the Conqueror in Quantumania

Wasp and Ant-Man narrowly escaped the Quantum Realm after defeating Kang in Quantumania. At the moment, there are no plans for an Ant-Man 4, especially after the disappointing box office results of the third film. However, there are still opportunities for Wasp to return, even if Lilly isn’t portraying her.

Avengers 5 & 6 will be multiversal events that will most likely bring back Marvel heroes from old and new generations, and Wasp is still an essential team member. Hope is a powerful and useful ally, especially since she’s already encountered Kang if he is the villain. Secret Wars is another excellent opportunity for Hope to return as it will bring in variants of characters from other universes. This way, Marvel can utilize Wasp in the film without needing Lilly, as Wasp could look like someone else or even be a different gender.

With Lilly leaving Hollywood, Marvel could elect to recast her if the studio still has important plans for Wasp. Marvel has recast actors in the past, including Terrance Howard and Edward Norton, but Lilly has played her character much longer than those two actors, so it could be more tricky. Still, it’d be a shame for Wasp’s MCU journey to end after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania due to Lilly’s retirement.