Superheroes reach out to 6-year-old real-life hero

Six-year-old Bridger Walker, who was mauled after shielding his four-year-old sister from a charging dog earlier this month, has caught the attention of celebrities, including Captain America himself.

Three days after the incident on July 9, the boy's aunt, Nicole Walker, shared the incident on Instagram. She tagged several Avengers stars and wrote: "I'm reaching out to the Avengers and other heroes so that they can learn about this latest addition to their ranks.

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The post quickly went viral and actor Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, promptly reached out, sending Bridger and his family a video message: "I'm sure you heard a lot of this over the past couple days, but let me be the next one to tell you, pal, you're a hero."

In her post, Walker said that after the attack, Bridger, who required around 90 stitches after the dog bit his face and head, had told his family: "If someone had to die, I thought it should be me."

Evans' Avengers co-stars also reached out, including Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man, and Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk. Other celebrities such as Hugh Jackman, Zachary Levi, Anne Hathaway also praised Bridger's heroism.