Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Evangeline Lilly Admits She Bluntly Turned Down X-Men Role Right To Hugh Jackman's Face

Evangeline Lilly; Hugh Jackman
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Imagees; Matt Keeble/Dave Benett/Getty Images

The Wolverine actor personally approached The 'Ant-Man' star while the two costarred in 2011's 'Real Steel.'

"If I'm not impressed, you'll know."

Though she admitted sometimes she shouldn't, Evangeline Lilly seems to live by these words.


Th Ant-Man star recently revealed on an episode of Happy Sad Confused podcast that she's had some massive opportunities for which she had "no desire" to be a part of, specifically in superhero movies.

The Lost alum recalled the time that she shot down Hugh Jackman for a chance to be in an X-Men film. At the time, the two were working on the 2011 film Real Steel.

She revealed Jackman was urged by "the X-Men guys" to mention the idea.

"[He] was like, 'Hey, so, the 'X-Men' guys are asking me if I would approach you because they know that you won't talk to anybody. They knew I was working with you and were interested to know if it would ever interest you to do an 'X-Men' thing."

Lilly shared she felt bad about turning down the opportunity to Wolverine himself, but she wasn't feeling it.

"I was like, 'No. It doesn't interest me. I'm not interested."
"I was like, I feel like such a d*ck because I'm talking to an X-Men! The X-Men! And I'm like telling him, 'No, that doesn't appeal.' Like what?!"
"I felt so rude!"

You can watch the moment below.

youtu.be

In the interview, Lilly even admitted she wanted to turn down the Ant-Man role, but her agent encouraged her to look into Marvel films before coming to a final decision.

She shared:

"When I did, I was like, 'Oh, they're doing something very different and very cool.'"

Earlier in the interview, she even revealed she had an opportunity to play Wonder Woman, as well, but the script was unappealing and her feeling about it was evident during the audition with Joss Whedon.

"I think my impression, coming away from it, was I had no desire and he could tell."
"It didn't appeal and there was nothing about the meeting that like, jazzed me or made me think like, 'Oh, I've gotta do this.'"
"Nothing clicked. Nothing felt good."
"I am way too authentic for my own good. I mean, it's not good."
"If I am not impressed, you'll know. And maybe you shouldn't know sometimes."

Several on Twitter found humor in Lilly's choice to turn down X-Men and Wonder Woman only to join the Ant-Man franchise.




But many are glad she chose to pursue the role of Wasp.


You can catch Lilly now in the third stand-alone Ant-Man film as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was released worldwide today.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

dog and cat snuggling together
Krista Mangulsone on Unsplash

Times Pet Owners 'Severely Underestimated' Their Pets' Intelligence

I've lived with cats—because no one owns a feline—most of my life. Some have been very clever creatures while others were real dingbats.

Family members have owned dogs whose talents also ran the gamut.

Keep Reading Show less
Scott Bessent
Meet the Press/NBC News

Scott Bessent Blasted Over His Bonkers Suggestion For How To Bring Your Own Inflation Rate Down

Continuing to follow the example of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Meet the Press Sunday to blame Democratic President Joe Biden for the financial downturn caused by Trump's tariff fiasco, then lied repeatedly about the state of the economy.

Meet the Press host Kristen Welker played a clip of MAGA Republican Vice President JD Vance telling a conservative audience at a Breitbart News event that Americans owe the Trump administration "a little bit of patience"—apparently while they figure out what tariffs are and how they work since they're rolling back more of them to lower consumer prices despite claiming Trump's tariffs don't affect consumer prices.

Keep Reading Show less
Lindsay Lohan attends the men's final during day fifteen of the 2025 US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Elsa/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan Is Now Sporting A New Accent—And Fans Aren't Sure What To Make Of It

In a twist freakier than a sequel to Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan has debuted yet another new accent—this time at the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards in Doha, Qatar.

Draped in a maroon, jewel-trimmed gown by The New Arrivals Ilkyaz Ozel and accompanied by her husband, Bader Shammas, and their 2-year-old son, Luai, the actress looked serene, elegant, and completely unbothered by the collective whiplash she was about to inflict on the internet.

Keep Reading Show less
Jameela Jamil
Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images

Jameela Jamil Speaks Out Against The Rise Of The 'Aesthetic Of Emaciation' Among Women In Hollywood

Content Warning: eating disorders, thinness as an aesthetic, emaciation in Hollywood

There's no denying that we've been gifted with some incredible music, television shows, and films this year.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in "Rush Hour 2"
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; New Line Cinema

Trump Is Now Using His Presidential Sway To Pressure Studio Into Making 'Rush Hour 4'—And, Huh?

President Trump has reportedly pressured Paramount head Larry Ellison to make another sequel to Rush Hour, his favorite buddy-cop movie, as the company looks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

The first Rush Hour film, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, was released in 1998, received positive reviews, and made $245 million worldwide. Chan and Tucker returned for two sequels released in 2001 and 2007 respectively.

Keep Reading Show less