Chris Evans is gifting an authentic Captain America shield to a little boy who sustained injuries protecting his younger sister from a dog attack, US Weekly reported.
On July 9, 6-year-old Bridger Walker from Wyoming stood between his 4-year-old sister and a 1-year-old German Shepherd mix, according to CNN . The dog attacked the child, which resulted in Walker needing more than 90 stitches and undergoing surgery. His younger sister was left unscathed from the incident.
“If someone had to die, I thought it should be me,” the 6-year-old said when his father asked why he saved his sister from the dog.
The story went viral when his aunt, Nicole Walker, shared what happened to her niece and nephew on Instagram. Her post currently has over 250,000 likes.
In the video released this morning, Chris Evans called the little boy a hero, saying that he was going to track down his address and send him a real Captain America shield because he deserves it. The 39-year-old actor wore a casual black t-shirt in the short video he filmed in his home.
“What you did was so brave, so selfless — your sister is so lucky to have you as a big brother. Your parents must be so proud of you,” the Captain America actor said. “Keep being the man you are, we need people like you.”
Evans finished the video saying that recovery might be tough, but based on what he’s seen, he doesn’t think there is much that will slow the youngster down.
The family shared a video of the children watching the message from Evans this morning. The siblings were seen sitting together outside on a hammock with the boy wearing a Captain America costume. In the video, Walker said he feels “good” about getting the shield, while his sister said Evans’ video was “awesome”.
Chris Evans is not the first celebrity to commend the young boy for his bravery. The family told CNN that other Marvel and Avengers stars such as Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Hugh Jackman, Zachary Levi, and Robbie Amell have reached out to them. Marvel Cinematic Universe directors Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo — who are more commonly referred to as the Russo brothers — have also contacted the family.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Evans initially turned down the role of Captain America due to anxiety but accepted it after speaking to family friends, a therapist, and Robert Downey Jr.