Robert Downey Jr. is the latest in a string of Marvel stars to reach out to a young boy who sustained serious injuries while saving his sister from a dog attack.
Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans were the first to praise young fan Bridger Walker, after his aunt, Nikki Walker started an account on Instagram to explain how her “hero” nephew “took on the attack so that the dog wouldn’t get his sister”.
According to his family, Bridger underwent surgery that lasted around two hours and received more than 90 stitches to heal injuries sustained to his face and head.
After tagging several stars in the post, which included a picture of Bridger displaying his wounds, Mark responded, telling the youngster he, “truly respect(s) and admire(s) your courage and your heart,” and adding: “Real courage isn’t dominating people or fighting against people or walking around like a tough guy. You are more of a man than many, many I have seen or known.”
Meanwhile, Chris later recorded a special video message for Bridger, as he promised to send him an official Captain America shield.
“Pal, you’re a hero. What you did was so brave, so selfless – your sister is so lucky to have you as a big brother,” he said in the clip. “Keep being the man you are, we need people like you.”
However, the gesture wasn’t enough for Robert, who said in his message, “Bridger, you’re a rock star. My name’s Robert Downey Jr., I play ‘Tony,’ (Stark / Iron Man) that makes me an old friend of Cap’s.
“I heard he sent a shield your way: I’m going to do one better. You call me on your next birthday, I got something special for you,” he added.
While the star didn’t reveal anything further about the gesture, he teased, “By the way – that’s a promise; a promise beats a shield.”
