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Oscar night was certainly a big one for all of the 2025 Academy Award winners, as well as those of us watching and live-blogging about it. The night was also quite epic for others as well, such as Nick Pauley, whom the rest of the world might know best as Dancing Deadpool. (Or Dancepool, for brevity fans.) He appeared during the musical number that concluded Conan O’Brien’s monologue, but the biggest moment for him may have actually come just before he hit the stage.
Pauley posted a short clip to Instagram where he’s standing backstage at the 97th annual Oscars just before emerging during O’Brien’s musical number. He’s clearly a little nervous, which isn’t all that shocking, but he quickly gets focused when Robert Downey Jr. walks by and gives him a fist bump. Even through the mask, you can tell his mind has been completely blown. Check it out.
Pauley was the same dancer who performed the now famous opening credits sequence of Deadpool & Wolverine so it’s only fitting that he was brought back to reprise the role at the Academy Awards, even if it was only for a few seconds. The whole thing was obviously pretty cool for him, and who wouldn’t be blown away by being in a Marvel costume and getting a fist bump from Robert Downey Jr?
And it was just a classy move from Downey. It’s unclear how much the Oscar winner knew about why there was a guy dressed as Deadpool backstage. Maybe he thought he was fist-bumping Ryan Reynolds? Either way, he knew the merc with a mouth was about to go on stage and just wished him luck.
And that wasn’t even all of it. Pauley posted some additional photos which include a shot with Downey and Keiran Culkin after he won his Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Nick Pauley clearly had an amazing time at the Oscars and the pictures show it.
But wait, there’s more. A third Oscar-related post features a short performance with Dancepool and Oscar winner Halle Berry. There were rumors of Storm appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine that Berry herself ended up debunking. All I can say is they made a terrible mistake, because we missed a chance to see this…
Nick Pauley may not have been nominated for an award, but I think it’s safe to say he was the big winner at the Oscars this year. Certainly getting cast as Dancepool was, in itself, a really big deal and a huge moment in his career, but now that decision has led to even more amazing opportunities.
Whether or not this is the last we’ve seen of Dancepool, it likely isn’t the end for the man behind the mask. If Ryan Reynolds ever needs another dancing stand-in, he knows who to call.