According to Lilly, the experience of making “Real Steel” convinced her to stick with acting because “it was the first time I felt really like my ideas were being heard.” Unlike television, where there isn’t a lot of time to experiment, Levy made time to allow his cast to collaborate. “I think you could credit [Levy] to a certain degree for the fact that I’m still acting today,” Lilly added.
Sadly, there hasn’t been much talk about a sequel to “Real Steel,” though Levy hasn’t shut down the possibility of returning for more of what /Film’s Sandy Schaefer described as the big boxing film for Gen Z.
Of course, Lilly did not retire, and since “Real Steel” she’s had time to be a part of both Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, she also had time to become an anti-vaxxer during the deadly global pandemic. That being said, there is an alternate timeline where Lilly did not join these two franchises but instead accepted Jackman’s offer to join the “X-Men” movies.