Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania star Evangeline Lilly had no interest in playing the part of Wonder Woman.
Appearing recently on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, Lilly spoke about meeting with filmmaker Joss Whedon about taking on the titular role in a Wonder Woman movie but said she lacked any interest in the part. When asked about fans casting her as Diana Prince, she discussed how she instantly gave Whedon the impression that she "had no desire" for the role, describing the meeting itself as part of the reason. Lilly claimed that at no point during the conversation did any of it "feel good," that "nothing clicked," and Whedon was unable to entice her into showing any interest.
Evangeline Lilly Won't Play Wonder Woman
The former Lost star states at that point in her life, she was "too young" to be polite and was not willing to fake any sort of enthusiasm for playing the Amazonian superhero. According to Lilly, Whedon quickly read this lack of enthusiasm and knew she had no desire to be part of the project.
This honesty in rejecting roles is something Lilly talked about, claiming that she’s always had trouble with authenticity and being too honest when she is uninterested in something. "If I am not impressed, you’ll know, and maybe you shouldn’t know sometimes," she said. The actor even claimed that there was some offense taken at her dismissive attitude towards the opportunity of playing Wonder Woman.
The Wonder Woman movie was eventually made, with Gal Gadot taking on the role of the titular hero and receiving widespread acclaim for her portrayal. Lilly, on the other hand, moved toward the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of Hope Van Dyne in the Ant-Man series.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the latest installment in the MCU and the kick-starter for Phase 5. It features Lilly playing the role of Hope, the titular Wasp, alongside Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang. The film follows these characters as they enter the Quantum Realm and encounter the terrifying Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.
Source: Happy, Sad, Confused Podcast