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Evangeline Lilly Wanted to Work with Michelle Pfeiffer Since Catwoman
Ant-Man & The Wasp's Evangeline Lilly says she wanted to work with Michelle Pfeiffer since she played Catwoman in Batman Returns. Pfeiffer brought Selina Kyle to life in Tim Burton's 1992 Batman sequel and her performance is now considered one of the best (if not the best) movie versions of Catwoman ever. The Oscar-nominee stepped away from the screen for a few years after her reunion with Burton on Dark Shadows in 2012, but has been busier than ever since her return. At the moment, Pfeiffer is filming her role as Queen Ingrith opposite Angelina Jolie in Disney's Maleficent II.
Marvel Studios confirmed Pfeiffer for the Ant-Man sequel last summer, as part of a cast announcement at San Diego Comic-Con. She is costarring in the film as Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp and Hope's (Lilly) mother, who was thought to be lost to the Quantum Realm many years ago. Lilly had been calling for Pfeiffer to play her onscreen mother in the Marvel Cinematic Universe well before last year's SDCC festivities, as she reminded us on the Ant-Man & The Wasp set.
Lilly also laughed off the idea that she was responsible for Pfeiffer's casting in the Ant-Man sequel, saying "I honestly don’t think I had anything to do with the decision" during our set visit. She also revealed that she met Pfeiffer for the first time when they made the SDCC casting video announcement together. As to what "quality of her acting" made Lilly want to work with Pfeiffer, the former said:
I wish it was that deep and beautiful. She’s so hot. [Laughs] And she was the Catwoman. And as a child I fantasized about her being the Catwoman. Um, I mean obviously Michelle Pfeiffer is an incredible actress and, and consummate in all ways. Uh, but this is a superhero movie. So, to a certain extent it’s just like living out all of your geek fantasies. And, uh, having the - having Michelle Pfeiffer as my mom was kinda one of my geek fantasies.
Pfeiffer, like her onscreen husband (Michael Douglas) in Ant-Man & The Wasp, brings gravitas to her MCU role thanks to her larger body of work. She's also the latest dream pick actor to join the franchise, like Lilly said, following in the footsteps of Pfeiffer's own Batman Returns costar Michael Keaton (who plays Adrian Toomes/Vulture). Ant-Man & The Wasp is packed with great additions to the MCU in general, with Pfeffier joined by fellow newcomers Laurence Fishburne and Walton Goggins in the sequel. A film cast that includes Douglas, Pfeiffer, and Fishburne would have been a movie geek's fantasy just a few years ago - and, yet, here we are.
It remains to be seen what role Pfeiffer plays in the MCU after Ant-Man & The Wasp. Marvel Studios executive producer Victoria Alonso seemed to indicate that Pfeiffer will appear in Avengers 4 in some capacity, earlier this year. That only makes sense, given that the Ant-Man sequel serves as something of a prelude to Avengers: Infinity War and takes place before Thanos makes his way to earth. Even if that's not the case, then at least Lilly got to fulfill her own pipe dream of having Pfeiffer play her mom in a superhero movie.
