Entertainment Weekly released the first photo of Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel in ’The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.’ Fans of the book, if you can’t remember who that is, don’t worry; you won’t find Tauriel anywhere in The Hobbit or any of Tolkein’s writings. Director Peter Jackson and his co-writers, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, added Tauriel to bring some more female energy to the male-dominated cast of characters.

Image Credit: James Fisher via Entertainment Weekly

While Tauriel is apparently a warrior and the head of the Elven Guard at Mirkwood (you go girl!), they’ve given her a romantic interest as well (cough, cough, Arwen, much?). Many fans are hoping for Orlando Bloom‘s elven Legolas as her dashing beau, but rumors are spreading that Tauriel might become involved with Kili the dwarf. (See below) Not too surprising considering the fact that Aiden Turner is definitely one of the more attractive dwarves cast.

Aiden Turner as Kili the Dwarf

Evangeline Lily is well aware of the criticism she’ll receive about the introduction of a brand new character:

“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are going to be people who will totally hate Tauriel, think that she shouldn’t be in the movie, that it’s a betrayal of Tolkien, and no matter what I do it won’t be right,” she says. “There will be everything between that and people who adore her and think it’s such a fun thing to have added to the film. I kind of got prepped for that being onLost, because we had avid fans who were really extreme in their feelings about the show and its characters. But I think if anyone knows how to respect Tolkien, it’s Peter, Fran and Phil. And Tauriel fits perfectly in that world.”

Hey, at least she’s ready for it!