Marvel actress Evangeline Lilly took to social media to slam Disney over its recent layoffs.
In mid-April, as part of a major corporate restructuring, Disney eliminated around 1,000 jobs. Marvel was among the departments hit hardest, with cuts in film and television production, comics, finance, legal, and visual development.
Why Disney Is Cutting Jobs
When the layoffs were announced, new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro released a memo to employees. While he did not mention AI directly, he said Disney was looking to “streamline our operations in various parts of the company.” Many suspected that emerging technologies like AI would be part of that process.
Josh D’Amaro in the welcome video for Disney Parks – YouTube, Wish Upon a Mouse
READ: New ‘Lanterns’ Trailer Pulled Down After Momentarily Appearing Online
Where Marvel is directly concerned, it may also be a result of a reduced production slate. In its early days, Disney+ leaned heavily on the MCU. However, after a series of divisive projects that failed to capture an audience, the company is scaling back. Fewer projects means a smaller workforce.
Lilly Responds to the Layoffs
Evangeline Lilly, who played Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp, said news of the Disney layoffs took her by surprise. Yet before lashing out, she confirmed the information. “I reached out to my good friend Andy Park, who was the genius behind creating the original Wasp supersuit and the original Wasp concept drawings for the film Ant-Man and the Wasp, and just said, ‘Is this true? Is this really what’s happening?'” she said in a video posted to Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Park verified that he was among those let go by Disney.
“I can’t quite believe that,” Lilly said. “That Disney have let go of the artists who brought the current Marvel Universe to life through their imagination and their genius.” She went on to suggest the visual effects artists are being replaced by AI, which “will take their designs and take what those artists created and use it to create iterations of that.”
A Wider Industry Fear
Whether the Disney layoffs are a result of AI, or simply a shift in creative output, the result is the same. In her video, Evangeline Lilly expressed her sympathies for those who are now unemployed. “I am so sorry Andy, and I am so sorry to every single one of the artists who were let go in the 1000 artists that Disney fired, and particularly the entire team at Marvel who have been considered obsolete now after building the Marvel empire.”
Evangeline Lily as the Wasp and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – Disney, Marvel
READ: More Classic Frontierland Locations Likely Closing Soon at Magic Kingdom
She encouraged her followers to pray for those are affected and “to honor the people who created the world that you fell in love with.” That world, she noted, was created by humans. Her concern is that their work will simply be replicated by “tech giants” and their “robots.”
Her comments also reflect a broader debate facing Hollywood. As studios cut costs and adopt new technology, many workers fear creativity is becoming easier to replace than ever before.
Lilly’s Final Verdict
Evangeline Lilly saved her harshest critique of the Disney layoffs for the end. “I think it’s disgusting and horrible, and I stand with all the artists. And Andy,” she said. “I’m so sorry, and I love you guys.”
Evangeline Lilly in the trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
READ: ‘Leaving Neverland’ Director Dan Reed Slams ‘Michael’
Ultimately, the entertainment industry is in a time of contraction. How much of that is a result of AI, and how much is a reflection of shifting audience tastes is open for debate. What is clear is that workers across Hollywood are increasingly caught between corporate cost-cutting and rapid technological change.
What do you think of Evangeline Lilly’s comments about the Disney layoffs? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
UP NEXT: John Wick 5 Gains Momentum as Lionsgate Teases New Idea From Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski
