Before there was Captain America, there was Johnny Storm – a.k.a Human Torch. That is, naturally, easy to forget when the man behind the flames (Chris Evans) went on to play one of the most beloved comic book heroes of all time. After hanging up his shield for good in 2019 in Marvel‘s Avengers: Endgame, no one quite expected to see Evans return to the silver screen in the MCU — let alone as his first foray as a superhero. However, Deadpool & Wolverine revels in the unexpected and does just that.
Understandably, the cameo is a moment of pride for the film’s Ryan Reynolds who shared a touching tribute to Evan‘s firey counterpart. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Merc with a Mouth hailed the actor for being a movie star that is even “better than you hope he is.” “Part of the movie’s theme is saying goodbye… And one of the gifts of working on the film is that we got to say goodbye on different terms,” he added. “Seeing Johnny Storm (if only for a short while) was like seeing someone you miss come back from the dead in a dream. Way too brief and too lovely to be real. Goodbyes are hard. It was hard saying goodbye to Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm. But at least we got to actually say it this time.”
In true satirical Reynolds style, he went on to mock how quickly Evans’ counterpart was revived and buried (kind of) by Charles Xavier’s evil twin sister Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) for “running his mouth.” The cameo earned widespread applause from comic book lovers who appreciated the nod to Evans‘ legacy in the MCU. It is also beautifully acknowledged in a moment of theatrical gold when Deadpool is seen to be visibly underwhelmed when Johnny Storm lets out a “Flame On” instead of a mighty “Avengers Assemble.”
Chris Evans’ Epic Cameo Was Shot in Just Two Days
What only makes the scene even more special is that it was shot in just two days, Reynolds revealed to Collider in an exclusive interview. “We’re so grateful to have him there,” Reynolds explained. “And you know, he was only there for two days. If you think about how much he did in just two days, it was crazy.” The strikes meant that the crew was working to an incredibly tight schedule and in Reynolds’ words meant that “if one person is 15 minutes late, we’re fucked.” However, Evans effectively came alive under the pressure and turned down Reynolds‘ offer for cue cards to assist with the super-speed dialogue – nailing it effortlessly.
Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters now.
via Collider