Evangeline Lilly has publicly condemned Disney over its recent layoffs, which affected approximately 1,000 employees, including a substantial number of staff across Marvel's film and TV production, comics, franchise, finance, legal, and visual development teams. Lilly, known for her role as Hope van Dyne/Wasp in the Ant-Man trilogy and two Avengers films, expressed her outrage in an Instagram video shared on Wednesday.
Disney's Layoffs and AI Concerns
In the video, Lilly referenced a social media clip about the layoffs and said she contacted her close friend Andy Park, Marvel Studios' Director of Visual Development, to verify the news. Park confirmed the layoffs and revealed that he was among those let go. Lilly wrote: "I can't quite believe that Disney have let go of the artists who brought the current Marvel Universe to life through their genius. The people who invented these characters and designed them are being replaced by AI. AI will take their designs and use them to create iterations. I am so sorry, Andy. I am so sorry to every artist who was let go."
In her caption, Lilly continued her criticism: "SHAME ON YOU for turning your back on the people who built the power you are now using to throw them away. Where are the laws that REMOVE all human art from the AI bank?!? Why do they get to steal our brilliance and use it to make executives rich while the artists responsible for feeding their robots go hungry?? Disgusting. California lawmakers...where are you?!?!?"
Disney's Response and CEO's Memo
An internal memo from new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, sent earlier this month, did not mention AI as a reason for the job cuts. Instead, he stated the layoffs were part of an ongoing effort to "streamline operations." Lilly, who stepped back from acting in 2024, praised the artists who "designed and brought to life the glory days of Marvel." She added: "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."
Andy Park, who created the original Wasp supersuit and concept drawings for the second Ant-Man film, announced his departure from Marvel Studios on social media last week. He wrote: "Marvel Studios Visual Development: 2010–2026. End of an era. I was there at the start of a team that broke the mold. 16 years, 40+ films, and 15 films led as Director of Visual Development, I couldn't be prouder of the history we made. My journey continues..."
The Independent has contacted Disney for comment.
