RDJ Encourages Young Filmmakers, Children's Charities at Age of Ultron Screening

Photo by Jennifer Mitchell, courtesy NY Daily News

Continuing a tradition, the New York Daily News partnered with Marvel Studios and Disney for a special early screening of the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers Age of Ultron. The screening hosted kids from local charities, plus two of three Made in NY program graduates, aspiring filmmakers who won a contest allowing them to create new PSAs using actors from the franchise.

Two members of the Marvel Studios family came to personally congratulate the filmmakers, Lisa Escobio and Justin Lebron (the other winner, Ahmad Muhammad, was not present). First out in the theater was Joe Quesada, CCO of Marvel Entertainment. He congratulated them and introduced the new PSA program that encourages New Yorkers to volunteer. Then he brought out the real surprise guest, saying, "We have a friend here at Marvel Studios that we call RDJ. But it's dangerous, like Beetlejuice, if you say RDJ three times, he just appears." With that, he said RDJ one more time, while the entire crowd started chanting for the actor.

Robert Downey Jr came out into the theater, and sang the praises of New York, as a "native New Yorker" himself. He said, "A lot of the folks that I had who were kind of influences on my growing up led me to believe that if you do the right thing often enough, or when you admit wrongdoing and try to get it right, you stick it out and persevere, you can have a pretty good life."

He then congratulated the filmmakers and posed for a picture with them (and several rows of kids). After leaving the theater, saying he hoped the fans all enjoyed the film that he thinks is "really good," the new spots, starring Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and Chris Hemsworth, all ran, leading into the movie.

RDJ follows last year's charity screenings with Marvel Studios and the Daily News, featuring Chris Pratt for Guardians of the Galaxy and earlier in 2014 Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie attended for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.