‘Marvel’ star left with brain damage after freak accident, faces uphill health battle

In a shocking health revelation that has stunned fans, a major Marvel star has confirmed she is living with brain damage following a freak accident earlier this year.

{ }Evangeline Lilly attends the UK Gala Screening of Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, at BFI IMAX Waterloo on February 16, 2023 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)

Evangeline Lilly, best known for her roles in “Ant-Man” and “Lost,” previously revealed she suffered a traumatic brain injury after fainting and falling “face-first into a boulder.” Now, after undergoing extensive medical testing, the actress has revealed that the long-term impact of the incident is more severe than initially believed.

In a video posted to Instagram at the start of the new year, Lilly shared an update on her condition. She said, “It’s late on January 1, the first day of 2026, and I’m entering into this new year — the year of the horse — with some bad news about my concussion. The results came back from the scans, and I missed every area, and my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity.”

She added, “So, I do have brain damage from the TBI, and possibly other factors going on.”

The 46-year-old actress acknowledged that the path forward will require significant medical attention and dedication. “Now, my job is to get to the bottom of that with the doctors, and then embark on the hard work of fixing it,” she said, adding, “I don’t look forward to it because I feel, like, hard work is all I do.”

Evangeline Lilly attends the Ant-Man and The Wasp Quantumania world premiere at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, California on February 06, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

Despite the alarming diagnosis, Lilly noted that the injury has forced her to slow down in ways she never had before. “My cognitive decline since I smashed my face open has helped me to slow down and helped me to have a more restful finished 2025,” she explained.

Lilly added, “That’s a good thing. [I’m] feeling extraordinarily grateful and blessed to be able to play one more day, one more year on this beautiful living planet.”

Still, she admits the journey ahead will be challenging, calling it an “uphill battle” to reverse the injury after her concussion.