Deadpool is one of the more popular superheroes in the Marvel universe, especially after Ryan Reynolds brought him to life in the two recent movies that hit theaters. The potty-mouthed antihero is heavily scarred — a trait that’s easy to see when he’s not wearing his suit and mask — and he doesn’t let that stop him from kicking butt, finding love, and generally being super, super cool.
Among the fans who have been inspired by Deadpool is 21-year-old Johnny Quinn: a burn survivor (or, as he puts it, burn thriver) who’s a motivational speaker and bodybuilder. Johnny was just four years old in 2003 when the family dog knocked over a candle in the barn he was playing in. His sister pulled him from the blaze and saved his life, but Johnny still suffered burns to 95 percent of his body. He was placed in a coma for six months, and when he awoke, he worked his hardest to complete physical therapy and live his best life, and he’s been successfully doing so ever since.
Now, Johnny uses his story to inspire others, and he’s found some inspiration of his own in Deadpool’s story. Johnny decided to cosplay as the Marvel character and tagged Ryan Reynolds himself.
Though Ryan’s a busy guy with a lot of fans trying to get his attention, he managed to see Johnny’s post… and left him the most heartwarming message ever on it.
The response from the actor obviously brought a lot of joy to Johnny, who was absolutely rocking his Deadpool outfit.
Much like Deadpool himself, Johnny is charming, witty, and has an iron will to live. And we think he’s doing a darn good job at it.
While we’re sure he didn’t need Ryan’s validation to know that his cosplay is awesome, we know he’ll always remember the day the actor who plays his favorite not-hero was inspired by his words (and costume).
Make sure you follow this burn “thriver” on his journey!
