EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) – Each night, 18-year-old Ryan Wilcox sleeps under a portrait of himself dressed as Captain America – the pinnacle of human strength and endurance.
The Marvel Comics fan knows a thing or two about those heroic attributes. He is battling cancer for a second time in his life, and so when he recently received some disappointing news about his prognosis, his schoolmates rallied and called in the Avengers.
On Monday, the 70-pound teen answered his front door and was shocked at what he saw: Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. and Captain America Chris Evans had not only put aside their differences on how to save the world, they had teamed up with “Iron Man” star Gwyneth Paltrow to carry out a mission to lift Wilcox’s spirits.
“Hey what’s up buddy?” Evans is heard as Wilcox shakes his head, doing a double take in a video taken by Paltrow outside his home in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon. “We were in the neighborhood and thought we’d cruise by.”
“Hey guys,” says Wilcox, wearing a T-shirt featuring Captain America’s shield.