Evangeline Lilly Critiques Disney Over Marvel Layoffs
In a recent Instagram video, actress Evangeline Lilly, known for her role as Hope Van Dyne (the Wasp) in the Marvel films, openly criticized Disney regarding the layoffs that affected employees in Marvel’s visual development department. She described the situation as “disgusting and horrifying.”
Lilly became aware of the layoffs from her friend Andy Park, a veteran visual development artist at Marvel who played a significant role in creating the Wasp suit. Lilly recounted reaching out to Park to confirm the news, expressing disbelief when he confirmed he had been let go.
“I just can’t believe it,” she stated, emphasizing that these artists were crucial to bringing the Marvel Universe to life. She voiced concern that the creativity and genius of these individuals were being replaced by artificial intelligence, which she feels appropriates their original designs.
Lilly expressed sympathy for the broader range of Disney staff impacted by the layoffs, particularly highlighting those artists who helped build iconic characters yet are now rendered “obsolete.” She argued that the work of these humans should not be exploited by large tech companies for profit, particularly when it leads to artist starvation.
In her video caption, she directly addressed Disney, putting out a call for legislative action to protect human artistry from being co-opted into AI systems. “Shame on you,” she wrote, questioning why there is no law to safeguard human art from being used in AI collections without consent.
Disney had previously announced plans to lay off 1,000 employees across multiple sectors, with CEO Josh D’Amaro mentioning efforts to streamline operations and create a more efficient, tech-friendly workforce in the face of industry changes. However, the company’s statement did not specifically link the layoffs to AI, and they have not commented on Lilly’s claims regarding the replacement of artists.
While initial reports suggested an 8% cut of Marvel’s workforce, Disney later clarified that the number was significantly lower. As of now, Disney has not responded to requests for further comment on this matter.
