In order to stay true to her character, actress Evangeline Lilly changed the fighting style of Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Lilly felt it important to honor the fact that her character is a woman and chose to fight in a way that she felt little girls could relate to.

In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Lilly reprises her role as Hope van Dyne, the daughter of Hank Pym, the man who created the suits both she and Ant-Man wear in the film. After helping Ant-Man take down Cross in the first movie, Hope suits up again as Wasp in the new film to go in search of her mother who went missing in the Quantum Realm. In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Wasp also fights at Ant-Man’s side as his partner.

In an interview with THR, Lilly spoke about her character and how she felt the need for Wasp to have a different fighting style from the men in the film:

Lilly also spoke about how important it was for her to speak up about her character on set, even if it meant going against how culture tends to ignore women who do so. She felt her voice was heard, though, and saw much of her influence in the finished product. She also felt it was important for Hope to embrace her compassionate nature, even in her fighting. Lilly felt the character should fight with “elegance, grace and femininity.”

“When we did Ant-Man, I had to study a little bit of Muay Thai and MMA-style fighting. And MMA-style fighting is distinctly masculine, it’s got a very masculine posture and a very masculine attack, and that was so difficult for me because I don’t move that way naturally. I really wanted to change that in this film. I wanted to move the way my body wants to move, as a more graceful, feminine woman.”

Lilly’s claim to fame comes from working on the hit TV show Lost, where she played one of the series’ main characters, Kate Austen. However, she also took a turn as the elf Tauriel in The Hobbit trilogy. She is picky about her work and her roles, choosing each film carefully. This role, though, makes her a superhero - someone little girls will look up to for a very long time. And it seems Lilly takes that responsibility seriously.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is now officially in theaters, and is already set to become another hit for Marvel. Wasp is also the first female co-lead in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, although she shares lead duties with a man. But her appearance in this movie sets the stage for next year’s release of Captain Marvel. With Marvel bringing more women into its universe, it’s likely that Wasp will turn up again in the MCU’s Phase 4. That’s fortunate because Wasp is in good hands with Lilly.

More: Ant-Man And The Wasp’s Ending & MCU Future Explained

Source: THR

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