Marvel star Evangeline Lilly announces retirement from acting

Evangeline Lilly, best known for her roles in the Ant-Man films, has mentioned that she has retired from acting. The Hollywood actor took to Instagram and announced her retirement, stating that a “new season has arrived.” The 44-year-old also said that she is “so filled with joy and contentment” and ready to “live out her vision.”

Along with the post, Evangeline Lilly shared an old video of herself in which she answered the question about her future and wrote, "I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings. Stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment."

Lilly mentioned she might return to Hollywood one day but, for now, she feels this is where she belongs. The video shows a younger Lilly discussing her dreams of becoming a retired actress with a family and two children.

After appearances on several television shows including Smallville, Lilly got her big break as Kate Austen on the sci-fi series Lost. She also went on to star opposite Hugh Jackman in the 2011 film Real Steel before taking a trip to Middle Earth to play the elf Tauriel in 2013’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and its 2014 sequel, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies.

In 2015, she joined MCU as Hope van Dyne in Ant-Man. She also reprised her role in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, and joined the fight against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. Lilly also returned as Hope in 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.