Superhero stuntman Trevor Habberstad passes away at age 27

You may not know his name, but if you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the greater superhero genre, you have seen his work. Trevor Habberstad, a veteran stunt performer and coordinator, has passed away after an 8-month battle with gastric cancer. He was only 27.

Trevor’s father, second unit director and stunt coordinator Jeff Habberstad, paid tribute to his son while sharing the tragic news on Instagram.

My biggest fear in life would be to outlive my child. That nightmare has happened. I spent over 8 months watching my first-born son Trevor fight this horrible rare disease. He never complained once, never said “why me”, never gave up, never lost hope, never considered losing as an option. But that disease was relentless. Every time he would start to make a gain, it would change direction and punch him in the gut. And he would get back up and lead the new charge. I am so proud. I don’t know how I can live without him, work without him, play without him. I miss him so much.

A post shared by Jeff Habberstad (@jeffhabb) on Feb 22, 2017 at 7:28am PST

Shane Habberstad also paid tribute to his brother on Instagram.

Goodbye my brother. I really don’t know what to say. You weren’t ready to die and I wasn’t ready to let you go. You were my best friend and my brother but that doesn’t nearly seem to encompass what we were to each other. We shared a rare bond beyond just blood or friendship that very few people have. You were the better half of the Brothers Habb, we were a package deal and now I’m all alone. It’s not fair. It’s not fair that you had to go like this. It was a horrible way to go. You weren’t doing anything fun, you weren’t doing anything wrong, but you still fought like hell to the absolute bitter end and I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I desperately tried to help any way I could, but ultimately I was as powerless as the countless doctors who didn’t know how to treat you. I refuse to believe that this is part of some grand master plan for the good of the universe or that anything good could possibly come of this. People will try to say you made the most of your 27 years. That we did a lot of fun stuff and had great lives- but it wasn’t enough. We had a lot more to do and you left me. I’m angry. I’m so profoundly sad and angry. I just can’t imagine a life without you… working without you, traveling without you, getting thrown out of bars without you. You were my main person on this planet and I’ll miss you everyday. I love you big brother. #BrothersHabb Forever❤️ #SigningOut

A post shared by Shane Habberstad ?? (@shanehabb) on Feb 19, 2017 at 4:32pm PST

Trevor Habberstad has over 50 credits as a stunt performer and coordinator. He has worked on several Marvel Studios and Marvel Television productions, including Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 3, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ant-Man, and Doctor Strange. He also worked on the following superhero films:

• Spider-Man
• X-Men: First Class
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• The Dark Knight Rises
• X-Men: Days of Future Past
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• X-Men: Apocalypse

The Habberstad family is an unsung, but massive part of Marvel history with Jeff and Shane also having worked on multiple Marvel films. Marvel directors Peyton Reed (Ant-Man) and Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) paid tribute to Trevor and his family on Twitter.

We have lost Trevor Habberstad, stuntman extraordinaire and all-around exemplary human being. My heart goes out to the Habberstad family.

— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) February 23, 2017

Trevor, Shane and Jeff are an integral part of the @AntMan family. We are here for you, Jeff, Shane and family. With much, much love.

— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) February 23, 2017

Very sad to hear about Trevor Habberstad. My condolences to his father Jeff, my second unit director. https://t.co/fD07nGvgVb via @deadline

— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) February 23, 2017

X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer also took time to remember Trevor.

#Stuntman #TREVORHABBERSTAD (left), Son of #JeffHabberstad, my stunt cordinator over the last two #XMen films, and older brother of #ShaneHabberstad (right), passed away recently from a rare and aggressive form of cancer at the young age of 27. Trevor was a #stuntcoordinator in his own right, and would have gone on to become one of the greats. His skill, commitment to safety, and work ethic was second to none. In my 20 year career I have never lost a friend/colleague this way. He and his entire family are among the kindest people I have ever met. My heart goes out to them. His passing is the very definition of the word UNFAIR. Trevor appears in a small cameo in #Xmendaysoffuturepast when #Wolverine is being pulled from the water. But his work is EVERYWHERE throughout every film he has done.

A post shared by Bryan Singer (@bryanjaysinger) on Feb 21, 2017 at 11:57am PST

On behalf of everyone who contributes to Marvel Studios News, I offer our deepest sympathies to Jeff, Shane, and the rest of Trevor’s family and friends. 27 is far too young to lose anyone, but if a life is to be measured by the number of lives touched, the outpouring of support shown today proves Trevor lived a great one.

In memory of Trevor Habberstad, we have made a donation to the American Cancer Society. You can do the same by following the link so that we can call continue the battle against this disease.