Two days after the tragic accident that killed stunt driver SJ Harris, filming has resumed on the Vancouver set of Deadpool 2.
Star Ryan Reynolds was back in costume as the titular Marvel superhero Wednesday for an action sequence being shot underneath the Granville Street Bridge. The scene appears to involve a giant inflatable panda.
But the mood on set was sombre, with the shoot taking place just 48 hours after Harris's death. The crew took a moment to huddle together and honour her memory before getting started.
The cause of the fatal accident is still under investigation, but witnesses said the stunt driver appeared to lose control during a motorcycle sequence near the downtown waterfront Monday.
Harris, who was doubling for lead actress Zazie Beetz, drove off set and crashed through a pane of glass across the street at Shaw Tower. Despite the efforts of first responders, she was pronounced dead at the scene within an hour of the failed stunt.
The 40-year-old professional racer, who was reportedly working her first job on a movie set, has been remembered as a trailblazer who was beloved and respected by her colleagues.
"Everybody loved her," actor Robin Rose told CTV News. "I just remember her presence, and I remember when she spoke, she was very, very confident."
Harris has been billed as the first black woman ever to become a licensed participant in American Motorcycle Association racing events.
Her tragic death has also prompted questions about the planning that went into the Deadpool 2 stunt, and whether Harris should have been wearing a helmet.
But a source close to the production told CTV News the scene was only supposed to require Harris to make a left-hand turn travelling below 16 kilometres an hour. It was also the understanding of the City of Vancouver, which permitted the scene, that the stunt would not involve "any high-risk manoeuvres."
The Deadpool 2 shoot is scheduled to continue Thursday on Cordova Street, near the scene of Monday's accident.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Allison Tanner
