Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel in THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION SMAUG

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug may not be hitting theaters until December 13th, but the promotional machine is kicking into high gear before Comic Con. Today, EW.com has released a new image of Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, a new character that Peter Jackson has added to the series.

The fact that she’s not part of original cannon has some people a little up in arms. Here’s Lilly’s explanation for her character:

“Tauriel is the head of the Elven Guard. She’s a Sylvan Elf, which means she’s of a much lower order than the elves we all became acquainted with in The Lord of the Rings. She doesn’t hold the same kind of status that Arwen or Galadriel or Elrond or Legolas do — she’s much more lowly. She sort of goes against the social order of the elves a little bit.”

In her interview with EW.com, she also teased a possible relationship between her and Legolas:

“Tauriel’s relationship with Legolas is significant. They’ve known each other since they were children, and Legolas’ dad, [Elven king] Thranduil, has a soft spot for Tauriel and sees something very special in her. So if you grow up side by side, and your dad has a very special spot in his heart for this young woman who’s a fantastic warrior, I think it’s hard not to notice her.” She laughs. “That’s probably as much as I can say.”

Joining Lilly in the film are: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Stephen Fry, Orlando Bloom, and Richard Armitage. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens in 3D on December 13th.