The Academy Awards has always been an event where unexpected achievements are unlocked and surprising memories are made. From Sean Baker taking home four Oscars in a single night to Kieran Culkin asking his wife for another kid during his acceptance speech, even the 2025 Academy Awards gave the audience some iconic moments that are sure to become part of pop culture.
One of these iconic moments also took place behind the stage, where Iron Man, aka Robert Downey Jr,. ran into Deadpool, much to the delight of fans.
When Iron Man met Deadpool at the Oscars
The Oscars turned into a multiversal event for Marvel fans when Deadpool finally ran into one of his idols and heroes, Iron Man, at the 2025 Academy Awards. While you must be thinking that it is Ryan Reynolds who met Robert Downey Jr. at the Oscars, no, it wasn’t Reynolds’ Deadpool but rather Nick Pauley’s Deadpool that met RDJ.
Nick Pauley is the content creator and dancer who acted as a body double for Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine. And no, he wasn’t a body double for action or fighting scenes, but rather the ‘Deadpool’ who danced to NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye during the iconic opening of the blockbuster film.
Well, as we all know how famous the dance went, Pauley ended up reaching the Oscars’ prestigious stage. During the opening monologue as host Conan O’Brien opened the Oscars and Sandworn from Dune played the piano, Pauley, dressed as Dancepool, made his way to the stage for a short dancing cameo.
However, the true magic happened behind the scenes, as Pauley later revealed in a video posted on his Instagram. In the said video, as the dancer waited for his chance to go on stage, Iron Man, aka Robert Downey Jr., ran into him and gave him a fist bump. Moreover, the dancer later even clicked pictures with Oscar winners Downey and Kieran Culkin.
Fans react to Robert Downey Jr. and ‘Dancepool’ interaction at the Oscars
![Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine [Credit Marvel Studios]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/23124102/Ryan-Reynolds-in-Deadpool-Wolverine-Credit-Marvel-Studios-1024x512.jpg "Deadpool Meets Iron Man in Never Seen Before Oscars Footage, Hypes Up the Inevitable Ryan Reynolds- Robert Downey Jr. MCU Showdown 3")
Dancepool stole the show at the 2025 Oscars when Nick Pauley made a small cameo on stage, dressed as ‘Dancepool.’ His little run-in with Robert Downey Jr. has kicked off speculation and theories about Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool meeting RDJ’s new Marvel character, Doctor Doom, in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Moreover, as the video went viral on the internet, here is what Marvel fans and netizens had to say about it:
Meanwhile, while Nick Pauley has become famous with his short cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine, actor Ryan Reynolds is currently battling the controversies about Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni drama. While the road so far seems tough for Reynolds’ character to make an appearance in the MCU right now, only time will tell how it will all go down and whether or not we can see the Merc with a Mouth battling the sinister Doctor Doom.
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