Record-Breaking Superhero Film ‘Deadpool 2’ Dedicated to Motorcyclist Stunt Woman who Passed Away During Filming

Behind all the hilarious scenes in action-comedy blockbuster Deadpool 2 is a sobering dedication to a stuntwoman who lost her life during filming.

(Image taken from Black Girls Ride Magazine)

In the film’s credits, a special message reads: “In memory of Sequana Harris.”

Joi “SJ” Harris had died when she was filming a stunt scene for the Deadpool sequel back in August 2017. According to a report from WorkSafeBC who investigated the crash, it states that: “The worker (Harris) had been rehearsing a stunt scene that involved driving a motorcycle Ducati 939 Hyperstrada, out of the open doors of a building, across a concrete pad and down a ramp that had been built over three stairs and coming to a stop on the stair landing.

During the first shooting of the scene the stunt driver continued driving beyond the planned stopping spot on the stairway landing, and continued to drive down a second ramp built over the bottom stairs and across the roadway. The motorcycle struck the concrete sidewalk curb, the worker was thrown off the motorcycle and propelled through a plate glass window of a building.”

It was the first fatal stunt on the set of a B.C.-filmed movie in years, and production of the film was temporarily stopped in the wake of the tragedy.

Actor Ryan Reynolds, who is the protagonist of the movie, also took to social media stating how “heartbroken, shocked and devastated” the crew was.

Harris had only started riding in 2009, but was already competing in her first race season in 2014. As a medical professional, the Brooklyn native had only wanted to improve her street riding skills but soon became passionate about promoting riding and racing to women of colour.

In fact, she had later earned repute as the first African-American woman to be licensed in professional motorcycle track racing.

“I am everything people never saw in this sport. Sisters on the track are few and far between. I want to show them that there’s more for them to be exposed to. I want to get kids interested through experience,” Harris said in an interview with Black Girls Ride Magazine back in January 2015.

With Harris’s untimely death, both the film and motorcycle industry has shown an outpour of support, and with the movie’s dedication to the stuntwoman, her legacy will not be forgotten anytime soon.