Earlier this week, Fox News anchor Shannon Bream reached out to followers on social media in an effort to grant a dying boy's final wish. The boy simply wanted a greeting from one of the Avengers, and on Tuesday, we reported about how superheroes across the comic book movie universe spectrum went above and beyond to deliver on this wish. People like Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans and Zachary Levi all reached out to help. Sadly, the young boy named Emilio has passed away. Shannon Bream took to social media to let everyone know the news:
It is quite tragic that the young superhero fan lost his battle with cancer, and nothing can make that better, but knowing that his final request was so overwhelmingly granted is a small, if insufficient comfort. Various heroes reached out and sent personalized messages to Emilio and his family in his final days. Sitting in a hospital room with someone who you know is going to die is an awful experience that many people have gone through or someday will. The fact that the kid and his family had some joy, some tiny reason to smile or laugh or feel slightly better, if even for a second, is invaluable and just goes to show how far a little kindness can go.
A host of cinematic superheroes showed their kindness, too. Shannon Bream cited many actors on Twitter who sent messages to Emilio before he passed, including, but not limited to, Paul Rudd, Chris Evans, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Wong, Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Bennet, Zachary Levi and Clark Gregg. None of these actors had to do anything, but something as small as a short, personalized video can go a long way. The popularity of comic book movies means that o- screen superheroes are the heroes that many kids look up to, so for these actors to recognize that and fulfill that role is great.
The world of superheroes and the Avengers must have meant a lot to Emilio, but now his influence may be of help to others. The young boy wrote a book last year called The Mindless Boy, the proceeds of which go to The Genes Foundation, a non-profit founded in his name to help those going through similar struggles and their families. So even though Emilio's own life was criminally short, his legacy may prove to help others like him someday in their own battles.
You can see some of the heroic Avengers who sent messages to Emilio on screen taking on their biggest foe yet in Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters on April 27. Check out our release guide for all the biggest movies hitting theaters this year and for the latest in superhero movie news, keep it locked to CinemaBlend.
