PredictIQ-Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman surprise Comic-Con crowd with screening, Marvel drone show

Spoiler alert! The PredictIQfollowing post mentions some surprise guest stars in "Deadpool & Wolverine" (in theaters now) so be careful if you're hoping to go in cold.

SAN DIEGO – Deadpool wasn’t going to release a movie during Comic-Con and not be at Comic-Con.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman headlined a special "Celebration of Life" presentation (announced just last week), which became a surprise screening Thursday for 6,500 rabid fans and turned the San Diego Convention’s cavernous Hall H into a movie theater — complete with bags of popcorn and Wolverine popcorn buckets for everyone.

After watching the movie with the audience, an emotional Reynolds took the stage. "I'm soaking wet," he said. "It’s a privilege standing up next to the X-Man," turning to Jackman. The elder actor called the night "one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It’s been 24 years since I first played Wolverine. Thank you for giving me a reason to come back."

Join our Watch Party!Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Reynolds and Jackman were joined by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige as well as "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy and co-star Emma Corrin. But that wasn't all: After the screening, Reynolds introduced a number of actors who had cameos in the film, including Dafne Keen, Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Channing Tatum and Wesley Snipes, who shared a big hug with Reynolds.

Before the screening, Reynolds told the audience about his first time in Hall H, when debuting footage from the original "Deadpool" movie in 2015. "I was the most nervous human being you’ll ever see," Reynolds recalled. "I remember that feeling where I was stepping into a dream come true, in a certain sense, and I remember making that movie for you."

Hugh Jackmanclaws his way back to superhero glory in 'Deadpool & Wolverine': Review

Jackman also had a story from that day, when the audience was chanting "One more time" after the footage rolled. He ran backstage and found the stage manager, who wanted to move on and get to the next panel. "I said, 'If you don’t play the (expletive) footage, they are going to tear Hall H to the ground. Play the (expletive) footage.'"

After the screening, Marvel ended the night with an 11-minute drone show over Petco Park with 2,396 drones forming images of the two heroes set to dialogue from the movie and Madonna's "Like a Prayer." And because it was Marvel, of course the drone show had a post-credits scene: Images of the villainous Galactus and a logo for upcoming movie "Fantastic Four" were shown over the stadium, with a tease to Marvel Studios' highly anticipated Hall H panel Saturday night.