Tragedy has struck the the set of Deadpool 2 today, with news coming out of Vancouver that a female stunt performer has been killed whilst performing a motorcycle stunt for the hotly-anticipated superhero sequel.
According to reports, the as-yet-unnamed stuntwoman has successfully completed the stunt four times, but something went wrong on a fifth attempt, causing the motorbike to become airborne and crash through the glass of the city’s Jack Poole Plaza. The performer received immediate medical attention, but sadly passed away from her injuries.
“Vancouver Police can confirm that a female stunt driver has died on the set of Deadpool during a stunt on a motorcycle,” reads a statement from the Vancouver Police Department, who have opened an investigation into the accident.
UPDATE: The stunt performer has been named as Joi ‘SJ’ Harris, who was working on her first film and portraying the Domino character, played by Zazie Beetz.
Ryan Reynolds and director David Leitch have also expressed their sorrow over the tragic accident…
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2017
“I’m deeply saddened by the loss of one of our stunt performers today,” added Leitch. “No words can express how I and the rest of the Deadpool 2 crew feel about this tragedy. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones in this difficult time.”
Deadpool 2 sees David Leitch (John Wick) directing a cast that includes returning stars Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), T.J. Miller (Weasel), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Stefan Kapicic (Colossus), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al) and Karan Soni (Dopinder) alongside new additions Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) as Domino, Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) as Cable, Jack Kesy (The Strain) as the film’s villain, and Shioli Kutsuna (The Outsider) and Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) in as-yet-unrevealed roles. It is set for release on June 1st 2018.
