Robert Downey Jr. hailed a 6-year-old boy who saved his sister from a dog attack as a 'rockstar' and promised him a 'special' birthday surprise

Darcy Schild

Jul 18, 2020, 21:11 IST

Robert Downey Jr. hailed a 6-year-old boy who saved his sister from a dog attack as a 'rockstar' and promised him a 'special' birthday surprise

The "Iron Man" actor shared a video message to the young hero, Bridger.NicoleNoelWalker/Instagram

Robert Downey Jr. sent a video message to Bridger, a 6-year-old who saved his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack on July 9 in Wyoming.
Bridger's parents said that their son protected his sister when a dog lunged toward them, and as a result, he was bitten in the face by the dog and received 90 stitches.
"Bridger, you're a rockstar," Downey Jr. told Bridger. "You call me on your next birthday. I've got something special for you."
Bridger has also received video messages from "Spider-Man" star Tom Holland and "Captain America" actor Chris Evans, who said he plans to send the child an authentic shield.

Bridger, a 6-year-old who saved his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack earlier in July, is being recognized as a hero.

Bridger's parents, Robert and Teila Walker, said in a statement obtained by NBC that on July 9, Bridger and his sister were at a friend's home in Wyoming. One of the homeowner's dogs, a German Shepherd, lunged toward the kids, and Bridger stood in front of his sister to protect her, his parents said.

"Bridger explained that when the dog bit him, he yelled for his sister to run," the Walkers said in the statement. "After the dog released, Bridger ran to his sister and led her to a more secure part of the yard where he thought they would be safe."

Bridger received more than 90 stitches in his face. Since the incident, he has been recovering at home, his parents said, and he's received a handful of shoutouts from celebrities who play superheroes.

On Friday, Nicole Walker, Bridger's aunt, shared a video on Instagram of "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr., who gave a special message to Bridger.

"Bridger, you're a rockstar," Downey Jr. said in a video to the boy.

"My name's Robert Downey Jr. I played Tony, [which] makes me an old friend of Cap's," the actor continued, referring to his Marvel co-star Chris Evans, who plays the character of Captain America.

*Plays AC/DC to watch this video.* Thank you to @brandondavisbd for all his help in editing. EDIT: I guess I should mention that we just celebrated Bridger’s birthday not too long ago, so it will be a while before we find out what the surprise is.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 17, 2020 at 7:56am PDTJul 17, 2020 at 7:56am PDT

"You call me on your next birthday," Downey Jr. told Bridger in the video. "I've got something special for you. By the way, that's a promise. A promise beats a shield."

At the end of the video, Bridger is shown reacting to Downey Jr.'s message — and his face lights up in a smile.

Nicole Walker wrote in the post's caption that the family celebrated Bridger's birthday recently, so it will be a while until they find out what Downey Jr. has in store for the young hero's surprise.

Downey Jr. also referred to Evans' recent video message to Bridger, where the "Captain America" actor told the boy that he wanted to gift him an authentic superhero shield.

There are no words. We are so, so thankful.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 15, 2020 at 4:36pm PDTJul 15, 2020 at 4:36pm PDT

Bridger also received a FaceTime call from "Spider-Man" actor Tom Holland, who extended the invitation to visit the set of "Spider-Man 3."

"I've heard about your story, and I just want to say, you are so brave, mate, and we are all proud of you," Holland told the 6-year-old. "Your little sister is so lucky to have someone like you. I mean, you're just such a brave little kid. It's not easy what you did, mate, you should be proud of yourself."