A Death On The Set Of 'Deadpool 2' Raises Questions About Stunt Risks

Tragic news broke on Monday afternoon that a stuntwoman was killed while filming Deadpool 2, as reported by multiple media outlets and confirmed by the Vancouver Police Department on Twitter. The woman, an experienced road racer according to Deadline, had been filming a sequence involving motorcycles. She was not wearing a helmet because the character didn't wear one in the film when the reported crash that resulted in her death happened. 20th Century Fox released the following statement to Deadline:

"We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of Deadpool 2 this morning. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time."

In the wake of this tragedy, Deadpool 2 lead actor Ryan Reynolds released a statement via his Twitter account about the on-set death on Monday.

"We're heartbroken, shocked and devastated...but recognize nothing can come close to the grief and inexplicable pain her family and loved ones must feel in this moment. My heart pours out to them — along with each and every person she touched in this world."

What is perhaps most glaring here is that this comes on the heels of recent high-profile, on-set incidents where a major injury or death has occurred. It highlights the nature of just how dangerous and demanding stunt work can be and underlines the lengths others are willing to go to in order to bring these more fantastical stories to life. The gravity of an event like the death of a stunt person, when it goes wrong and given this information, can not be ignored.

This deeply saddening incident comes on the heels of two very recent on-set, stunt-related incidents while on various film and TV sets. On Sunday, Aug. 13, Tom Cruise was reportedly injured on the Mission: Impossible 6 set, where he was performing his own stunt. According to the footage released by TMZ, Cruise can be seen attached to safety wires as he jumps from a wooden scaffold across to another building. He appeared to hit the side of the building and hurt his leg instead of landing on the roof, limping as he was take off the set.

Additionally, in mid-July, The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker died while filming a stunt wherein he reportedly fell head-first off of a roof while filming in Georgia and missed that safety padding on the ground, landing near the target. The incident was deemed a "freak accident" by TWD showrunner Robert Kirkman in his comments about the incident at an industry event.

This latest in a spate of tragic on-set accidents is truly heartbreaking to hear and hopefully, if there can be any good to result from it, it is that there is comfort found by those family members mourning the loss of their loved one and an industry-wide re-examination of how films and TV shows stage and shoot intense stunts.