Christian Joseph, a nine-year-old social media star known as Rizzler, hosted a special screening of Marvel films at the iPic Theatre in New York on April 30th, organized by the Film Association. Julia Louis Dreyfus was present, though she later noted she wasn’t fully aware of what was happening around her.
Joseph, dressed in a Red Guardian costume, took photos with various stars from the film, including Louis Dreyfus, Louis Pullman, Florence Pugh, and Wyatt Russell. Although David Harbor, who portrays the Red Guardian, did not attend, Joseph ensured a lively atmosphere.
During a chat with Buzzfeed, Louis Dreyfus shared a light-hearted remark about the viral photo with Joseph, admitting, “Um, I really didn’t know that, and there was no attack on that lovely child, but I didn’t know who he was.”
When the interviewer commented on how friendly they appeared, she agreed, recalling, “Yeah, he showed me his moves, so he was pretty cute. He was dressed like the Red Guardian, and he said, ‘I don’t know he’s Rizzler.’”
Joseph boasts quite the following, with 1.6 million TikTok followers. He even shared a video where he humorously requests two tickets at the counter, waiting for the employee to ask about the movie, and pointing out his Red Guardian outfit to spark recognition.
He first rose to prominence with a review of Black Panther posted on Halloween 2023, earning a staggering 2.5 million likes. His signature pose quickly turned him into an internet sensation.
Interestingly, “Rizz” is shorthand for “charismatic” and refers to flirting or charm, even taking the title of Oxford University Press’s 2023 word of the year.
Thunderbolt, which is inspired by Marvel Comics, highlights an ensemble of anti-heroes caught in life-or-death situations. Directed by Jake Schreier, known for The Town of Paper, this film is set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
