A six-year-old Wyoming boy named Bridger Walker is being hailed as a hero after placing himself
in harm's way to save his four-year-old sister from an attacking dog. And it isn't just the
local community rallying around Bridger Walker a few members of the Avengers have taken notice
as well.
Bridger's aunt, Nikki, posted an account of Bridger's selfless act on her Instagram. She
wrote that on July 9, 2020 Bridger's little sister was charged by a neighbor's dog, and
the boy did what many full-grown folks might not have the courage to do: He stood directly
between the dog and his sister, sustaining multiple bite wounds to his face and head.
When the dog didn't back off, Bridger grabbed his sister's hand and ran, guiding her to
safety. Asked by his father why he did what he did, Bridger responded with words that
we can literally hear coming out of Steve Rogers' mouth:
"If someone was going to die, I thought it should be me."
Nikki Walker wrote that Bridger's wounds would later require around 90 stitches, and that
after several days in the hospital, he was resting at home. As the selfless young man
apparently has a love for superheroes, Nikki tagged several of Marvel's stars in her posts.
She also asked those who might want to help comfort Bridger during his recovery to specifically
send along some "cool rocks" to a P.O. box in Cheyenne, Wyoming – because the only
thing he loves almost as much as crime-fighting, apparently, is geology.
It wasn't long before Nikki's second post about the situation went super-viral. As of
this writing, it's garnered over 1.1 million likes and a truckload of comments. It also
caught the attention of a few of Bridger's heroes, including Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo,
and more.
It all started with one famous actress taking it upon herself to make sure the Avengers
would assemble for Bridger. Anne Hathaway who portrayed Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, in
Christopher Nolan's 2012 three-quel The Dark Knight Rises was apparently the first big
celebrity to notice Nikki Walker's post. She leaped into action, saying on Instagram:
"I'm not an Avenger, but I know a superhero when I see one. I can only hope I'm half as
brave in my life as you are in yours, Bridger. Wishing you an easeful recovery, and many
cool looking rocks."
She then tagged Marvel Cinematic Universe mainstay Mark Ruffalo, the man behind Bruce
Banner, writing:
“Hey markruffalo, do you need a teammate??"
According to Deadline, Ruffalo did indeed reach out to Bridger's family as a result
of Hathaway's post. That kicked off a tidal wave of celeb support for Bridger. Avengers:
Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo got involved, as did X-Men series star Hugh Jackman,
Shazam! actor Zachary Levi, and Spider-Man star Tom Holland who has made something of
a hobby out of comforting sick and injured children while in character as the lovable
web-slinger.
A couple of days after her original post, Nikki posted a photo of a grinning Bridger
in a Spidey costume. She wrote:
"We just got off a call with a friendly neighborhood idol. Bridger is over the Moon! Can't wait
to show him what's next: a message from a guy who doesn't like bullies. Gotta wait for
the stardust to clear from his eyes first, though."
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Nikki posted a video of Bridger in full Captain America
regalia this time watching on his tablet a personal message from Cap himself. Chris Evans
recorded and sent along a heartwarming video in which he tells Bridger that he's a bona
fide superhero for saving his sister from a life-or-death situation.
"This is a message for Bridger. Hey, Bridger Captain America here, how you doing, buddy?
So, I read your story...”
Evans told Bridger that he was a brave and selfless hero, that his sister was lucky to
have him for a big brother, and that his parents must be so proud. Cap went on to tell Bridger
that he had a special surprise on the way, presumably directly from Avengers HQ. Cap
wrapped up his message by promising to send Bridger an authentic Captain America shield.
Evans closed his heart-warming message with:
"Hang in there I know recovery might be tough, but based on what I've seen, I don't think
there's much that can slow you down."
Evans is totally right, and we'd like to add our voice to the chorus praising Bridger for
his marvelous act of heroism. We wish him a speedy recovery though we have a feeling
the little guy likely won't be down for long.
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