MCU Star Reveals Brain Damage

Evangeline Lilly revealed she has been diagnosed with brain damage following a traumatic injury sustained last year. In May 2025, Lilly fainted while at a beach in Hawaii and fell face-first into a boulder. The impact caused a severe concussion, skin lacerations, and a punctured hole in her face that required stitches. She also suffered dental damage. Lilly noted she has experienced fainting spells since childhood, which doctors previously attributed to hypoglycemia.

Recent medical scans confirmed that almost every area of her brain is functioning at a decreased capacity. Lilly stated she is experiencing "cognitive decline" and described the situation as a "traumatic brain injury". She is currently working with doctors to understand the full scope of the damage and embark on the "hard work of fixing it," though she described the recovery as an "uphill battle".

Lilly, who starred as Hope van Dyne/Wasp in several Marvel films and Kate Austen in Lost announced her departure from acting for the foreseeable future. Looking on the positive side, she stated one benefit of the forced slowdown is that it led to her most restful holiday season in over a decade.