‘Iron Man’ Robert Downey Jr. Promises “Something Special” To Dog-Attack Hero Bridger Walker In Latest ‘Avengers’ Outreach

It takes a hero to recognize one. Robert Downey Jr. reached out to fan Bridger Walker via Instagram on Friday, becoming the latest Avenger to salute the young boy, who suffered serious injuries protecting his sister from a dog attack earlier this month.

Downey Jr. joins “Captain America” Chris Evans, “Spider-man” Tom Holland, “Hulk” Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway (okay, not an Avenger, but a star) in comforting the boy and praising his heroism for stepping in front of the dog and absorbing bites to save his younger sister. His aunt posted about the boy and his recovery, leading to the celebrity outpouring.

“Bridger, you’re a rock star,” said Downey Jr. “My name’s Robert Downey Jr., I play ‘Tony,’ 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. ‘Late. By the way – that’s a promise; a promise beats a shield.”

Evans earlier this week said in a video message to Bridger that he was sending him an authentic Captain America shield. Here is Downey Jr.’s video, followed by a video of Bridger’s chat with Holland, in which he invites the boy to the set of his next Spider-Man movie.