Deadpool & Wolverine has arrived – and Comic-Con, with its hordes of Marvel fans, celebrated the only superhero flick of the summer with a surprise screening and special guests.
The sprawling convention celebrating all things pop culture kicked off Wednesday, and a panel celebrating the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, was the main attraction for Thursday (Jul 25). Scores of fans sported clothing or costumes featuring the movie’s characters.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, who play the titular superheroes, joined director Shawn Levy in the San Diego Convention Center’s famed Hall H Thursday, along with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige.
To prevent fans from camping out in lines all day to snag a seat, organisers created a lottery system for the chance to win tickets. The venue holds about 6,000 people, and everyone who got in was treated to a screening of Deadpool & Wolverine, which Reynolds said was the “worst kept secret on Earth”, as many fans had speculated they would show the full movie. (Note: There’s some mild spoilers ahead.)
The crew behind the film joined the audience in the crowd for the screening and came back on stage after, expressing thanks to the audience for letting them experience their movie with a crowd.
“If there’s still any question about the importance of experiencing something with a crowd, that just changed everything. That was astounding – the best movie experience of my life, so thank you,” said Feige, who earlier in the day received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.