Red carpet premieres (or in this case, purple ones!) aren’t always just about stopping for interviews, posing for paparazzi or taking selfies with fans. Sometimes, they’re about making someone smile. The cast of Avengers: Endgame did just that at the film’s movie premiere in L.A this week when they stopped to meet Nikolai.
The 17-year-old who has an extremely rare immune condition (called familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis) has been through a lot lately. He’s battled through lots of surgeries, lots of therapy and spent 18 months learning how to walk again.
He’d been hoping to see the new Avengers movie and thanks to the Kids Wish Network, an organisation that grants wishes to children battling life-threatening illnesses, he not only got to see the epic blockbuster but also, hang out with the entire cast. Yep, we’re talking Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr, just to name a few!
Wish Kid Nikolai meets Scarlett Johansson at the Avengers Endgame premiere in L.A (Photo: Kids Wish Network)
Wish Kid Nikolai meets Jeremy Renner at the Avengers Endgame premiere in L.A (Photo: Wish Kids Network)
The actors met Nikolai in an exclusive area, had a chat, signed autographs and posed for photos with him. And when Nikolai gave Robert Downey Jr a t-shirt with a personalised drawing of Iron Man on it, the actor said, “this is for me? I’m going to remember you!” Pretty awesome having Iron Man on your side. You know, just in case.
Wish Kid Nikolai meets Robert Downey Jr. at the Avengers Endgame premiere in L.A (Photo: Wish Kids Network)
“My favorite part of his wish was watching him going from not smiling, to not being able to control his smiling,” said Nikolai’s dad who attended the big event too.
And as for Nikolai? He says the whole thing “was spectacular!”
Nikolai on the purple carpet at the Avengers Endgame premiere in L.A (Photo: Wish Kids Network)