Pepper Potts was notably absent from Captain America: Civil War, so much so that even Tony Stark noticed. But Gwyneth Paltrow was there for a young kid with cancer. The actress rallied the troops — i.e. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. — to visit 18-year-old Ryan Wilcox of San Diego, California who’s fighting a battle with cancer.
Paltrow posted about Wilcox two weeks ago on Instagram, asking the Marvel stars to take “a road trip” for a visit in light of his struggling condition. “He absolutely LOVES Captain America and the Avengers,” read a post the actress re-grammed, “and what we want for Ryan if possible is to meet the actors and actresses of the Avengers, especially Chris Evans who plays Captain America.
The request asked for all the Avengers stars, including Scarlett Johansson, but two of the big ones isn’t half bad. Today, Paltrow followed up with an image of Evans and Downey walking through an airport, footage of their plane ride, and another image of the meet-up. Even Downey, Paltrow’s “better work half,” was beaming even though Wilcox was clearly Team Cap.
See photos below:
Let's do this #ryanstrong @robertdowneyjr #chrisevans A photo posted by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on
#ryanstrong A video posted by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on
HE FINALLY GOT TO MEET HIS HERO!!! Ryan you've inspired me and so many people with your story and your strength and reminded all of us on how dreams can really come true with the support from your friends, family, and fans that love you and will always be rooting for you! You're always in my prayers RYAN! #ryanstrong A photo posted by N I Y A H (@hizrarejwl) on
These two gents have long used their celebrity powers for good. Evans had a bet with fellow Chris and Marvel star Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), during last year’s Super Bowl and the duo visited sick kids at various children’s hospitals. Downey, meanwhile, famously gave a bionic arm to a child with a missing limb.
On screen the Civil War wages on, as it sailed past the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Evans’ future in the MCU is unclear — although we can probably assume he’ll be back for Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1 and 2 — but Downey is already confirmed for a role in Spider-Man: Homecoming, after Tony was seen recruiting the young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in Civil War.
