Matthew Berry is ESPN’s fantasy football guru. See full bio ». (0:54)Matthew Berry is taking the under on a 15-point fantasy output for Ezekiel Elliott vs. the Eagles in Week 16. Wednesday's Best Deals: Aukey Webcam, PlayStation Plus, Eastbay Athleisure, Dog Chew Toys, and More. Or even that he was in it all. Eventually, Berry was so into what he called a “great collaborative process,” he even helped to build a fairly memorable moment in the film. I mean the scene is about Tony Stark and Thor running into Alexander Pierce while they have Loki and the Tesseract. But the third one is only for a very select group of people: fantasy football players. Berry got to do a cameo in Avengers Endgame, and found out Robert Downey Jr. is just as cool (and good at everything) as we think. Forget movie stars. Present-day Iron Man and Ant-Man follow the 2012 Avengers as they leave Stark Tower with the Tesseract, hoping to create a diversion to steal it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I see dialogue between Alexander Pierce, my character, Tony Stark, and Thor. For the first time, Berry opened up about the experience below: Bobby Burack: Explain to us how this all came about. At the time, all Berry was told was he’d playing someone “official” and that the scene would be with Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk. Joe Russo—co-director of Avengers: Endgame— and ESPN's Matthew Berry have organized a superhero-stuffed Fantasy Football league, competing for charity. Remember, this is before anyone had even seen Avengers: Infinity War. Soul Stone. He’s played by the Talented Mr. Roto himself, ESPN’s Matthew Berry. Embracing the fun spirit of fantasy sports, ESPN senior fantasy analyst Matthew Berry and his unconventional cast of characters aim to make fantasy … “Also Alexander Pierce is there. Simu Liu 12. He’s played by the Talented Mr. Roto himself, ESPN’s Matthew Berry. Berry said Redford’s cameo was considered to be the secret among secrets for the scene and was told that, ideally, he shouldn’t tell anyone anything about the movie. Thank you very much.’”, “Robert Downey Jr. is everything you hoped he would be and so much more,” Berry added. Mostly because I’m not from the US. ESPN’s Matthew Berry announced the star-studded, 14-team AGBO league earlier this week that was the brainchild of Guillermo Lozano and Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo. Moreover, he created his own fantasy sports website called ‘TalentedMr.Roto.com and Rotopass.com. Matthew Berry 8. Since the scenes shot in the middle of football season, it took some significant string-pulling for him to make it to set. Berry got to do a cameo in Avengers Endgame, and found out … This Ironman villain used to work for Stark Industries. The first pick might surprise you. “There’s literally nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for that guy.”. “All it is is the dialogue. He really should stick to his day job at ESPN, instead of making cameos. Endgame director Joe Russo and ESPN Fantasy Football expert Matthew Berry. “So when Infinity War came out, and some of them aren’t big MCU fans, they’d be like ‘Hey is this the one you’re in?’ And I said ‘No. That’s bananas to think about.”. Nor did he know what the Avengers had to do. (The Talented Mr. Roto) Berry aka Matthew Berry (born on 29 th December 1969 in Denver, Colorado, the United States) is an American writer, columnist, fantasy sports analyst, TV personality. “There’ve been people that know me, that have seen the film, and didn’t realize I was in it,” Berry said. Chris Pratt. Let’s turn this into something really cool. If you play fantasy sports, especially fantasy football, you’ve probably encountered Berry before. -- Matthew Berry Robby Anderson , New York Jets , vs. Browns (ESPN projection: 9.5): An expected shadow from Denzel Ward doesn't help, nor does the … First, he’d have to get over the shock of meeting not just Downey Jr. and Hemsworth (as well as Hiddleston and Mark Ruffalo), but a living Hollywood legend no one knew was in the movie. “They hand me the script, it’s like two pages...and it makes no sense to me,” Berry said. He cohosts the Fantasy Show on ESPN+, wrote a book, and made a cameo in Avengers: End Game. I will take that. “And about two years ago he gave me a call and said ‘Hey man, I got a part that I think is perfect for you if you want to be in the movie’. According to Berry, he and Joe Russo, one of the film’s co-directors, became friends through fantasy football. Robert Downey was right.”, As for what may be next for Alexander Pierce’s number one SHIELD operative, if he didn’t die in Winter Soldier of course, Berry is ready to bring him back. He’s on TV almost every day talking about it and has a huge presence on social media too. "House of Cards" star Kate Mara also appeared near the start of "Iron Man 2" to deliver Tony Stark a … INTERVIEW: The Russo Brothers On ‘Star Wars’ Inspiring ‘Infinity War’, Making The Perfect Movie, The Avengers Story That Could Bring Them Back, And Pizza “Which, by the way, you would understand. “We did that fall like four or five times with different reactions to it. “There were like five or seven people at ESPN that knew about it,” he said. Next, a person from the costume department called him to get sizes for a suit, which made him think he was a detective or something (because he believed SHIELD didn’t exist anymore). Joe Russo 9. Only a few people who didn’t work on the movie knew he was in it, which included some of his bosses at ESPN. ESPN is now in the crosshairs, per a Boston Globe report that describes a culture of misogyny where women are subject to unwanted sexual advances and … agent. They cut my line which, truthfully, [makes it] a better moment. ESPN's Matthew Berry has an outspoken passion for the MCU, much like WXYZ's Brad Galli. “I love being part of the MCU,” he said. There’s a SHIELD guy there’ makes me feel like I did a good job.”, “Apparently I’m a very good SHIELD agent,” Berry laughed. “It happened through the grace of Joe Russo,” Berry told io9 on the phone this week. That’s what the scene is about. Fast forward nearly a decade later, and Matthew Berry's side gig is a thriving full-time dream job. 600. Watch now! This is all thanks to the AGBO Fantasy Football League, a charity fantasy football league run by Avengers director Joe Russo and ESPN’s Matthew Berry. Finally, when he got on set in Atlanta in late October/early November of 2017 (the week Thor: Ragnarok opened), he got to a few script pages....after signing a ton of NDAs of course. But I did notice Howard the duck in the ending fight! Berry didn’t know what Thanos had done. “There was a moment where they’re like ‘Okay. “Of course, Chris and Robert [were great] and then Robert Redford walks in,” Berry said. Avengers, assemble! Thor doesn’t need the SHIELD guy’s suggestion.”. Beginning with the draft and throughout the season, Berry – who had a cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame – and co-host Daniel Dopp will deliver weekly segments updating the latest roster moves, analysis, and “trash talk” commentary from the league’s superhero participants on The Fantasy Show and other platforms including digital and social. One place Berry did struggle with was how to deal with the burden of keeping this incredible experience a secret. During the course of our friendship, a few things happen. Matt Berry was born on December 29, 1969 in Denver, Colorado, USA. Since the release of the film, Berry has been enjoying all his family, friends and fans who have noticed the cameo and reached out. They’re wearing what they were wearing in The Avengers. “I mean I’m in a frame with Robert Downey Jr, Robert Redford, Chris Hemsworth, and me. Matthew Berry: I’m friends with Joe Russo, who’s one of the directors. It’s the agent standing next to Pierce. He’s dead. They couldn’t have been more welcoming and more encouraging.”, One example was what happened as everyone broke for lunch. “My wife didn’t even know,” he said. ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Marvel has accumulated millions of Avengers fans over the years, expanding the fanbase with their Marvel Cinematic Universe. I forget exactly what I said two years ago but I said something to the effect of ‘Use your hammer to help him out.’ And so Thor tries and obviously it works and that ended up staying in the movie. Tony’s just fallen. Matthew Berry/ESPN As we rehearsed with Daniel doing wacky stuff, disco balls dropping from the ceiling, socks with NFL player pictures on them suddenly coming to life, and talking puppets all over the place while a robot and a guy in a bear costume wandered around, it occurred to us very clearly. “Downey turned to me and said ‘You’re doing very well,’ Berry said. Ad lib as you would normally do,’” Berry said. There’s a Disney+ series in there somewhere.”. Even more surreal was how Redford’s appearance helped cue Berry into what the hell was going on in this secretive scene he was shooting. Story continues “I take that as a compliment. Like one of the shots in the movie is literally just four of us. Clearly, it’s either a flashback or it’s time travel,” Berry said. You are right. The fact that they just go ‘Oh look. Berry, if you don’t know, is one of ESPN’s most famous and followed experts on fantasy sports. Anthony Mackie 13. Chris Hemsworth 14. ... Matthew Berry/ESPN. Surprise one for viewers (though some might have guessed) was that Endgame visited The Avengers Back to the Future Part II-style, and part of their trip acts almost as a deleted scene from that first team film. The Avengers are then stopped by Alexander Pierce, played by Robert Redford, who is trying to take the Tesseract for SHIELD. Surprise two is Redford, one of the greatest, most recognizable actors ever, reprising his role as the now-deceased SHIELD-turned-Hydra operative Pierce. And yet, he thinks it’s almost better when people don’t notice. 7. You don’t want anyone to take you out of that moment. “I [realized] I’m in the lobby of Stark Tower. Then there’s that third surprise for a small niche of people. Matthew J. But, if he was to tell family members, he could not mention Redford. Two of them, everyone gets. Matthew Berry (Avengers Endgame) 800. Beth and Matthew Berry at the premiere of Avengers: Endgame on April 22 in Los Angeles, CA. During one key scene in the blockbuster flick, sharp-eyed viewers spotted Matthew Berry, the ESPN fantasy sports expert, as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Matthew Berry lists his favorites for each position, but he begins with The Fantasy Show and its 250th episode. “So inside it’s like ‘Oh my God’ because ‘Holy crap, it’s Alexander Pierce.’ And then the second piece of ‘Holy crap’ is ‘I’m going to do a scene with Robert Redford!’”, “Forget actors. Then you see like one or two lines from ‘Other Tony’ and I’m ‘What the heck is ‘Other Tony?’”. Currently, he is working at ESPN as a Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst. This tweet, though, from ESPN’s Matthew Berry, takes the cake for pointing out that the 30-year-old running back did not have good season last year. For more, make sure you’re following us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom. There’s a scene about a third of the way into Avengers: Endgame that has three levels of surprise. I didn’t notice that guy. They filmed the scene for two days and, even though he felt more comfortable as things moved on, there was still a hint of fear. Russo is … “Hey, Marvel! This is a major movie and he’s like an ESPN fantasy football guy. As many have noticed, that was indeed ESPN’s Matthew Berry in that Avengers: Endgame cameo. Berry told Galli about the experience during a Lions training camp visit. Berry is the go-to fantasy football commentator and expert for ESPN, and, in Avengers: Endgame, he made his MCU debut as a S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra agent. After the initial shock of the moment’s magnitude wore off, Berry slowly felt at ease working on the scene, which he credits to the calming and welcoming environment the Russos create on set. Tom Holland 10. If an actor said ‘Yeah listen. Think back to when Iron Man, Captain America, Ant-Man, and Hulk go back to New York 2012, the setting of the first Avengers movie. Remember when Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce (the real jaw-dropping cameo in the film) rolled up to Tony Stark and Thor in the past? espn.com — EXCLUSIVE CONTENT Get ESPN+ Will Zeke score over or under 15 fantasy points in Week 16? And I was like ‘Yeah of course,’ obviously.”. I’m surrounded by iconic legends,” Berry continued. Which he didn’t. So, no, I wasn't in "Avengers: Endgame" like Matthew Berry, but my rankings are way more... Daigle's Deep Sleepers ... espn fantasy football matthew berry rankings: matthew berry rankings week 1: 2019.’ So yeah I was counting down the days until it was out.”. ESPN's Matthew Berry has an outspoken passion for the MCU, much like WXYZ's Brad Galli. “Joe Russo was right. [But] it was just the opposite. “If Robert Downey Jr. looked at me sideways and said ‘I’m not feeling this’, I’m not in the movie, right?” Berry joked. Robert Downey Jr., the Russo Brothers and Matthew Berry sit down for an Avengers fantasy draft. So how the hell did a fantasy football expert find himself in a huge, secret Avengers scene along with the likes of Redford, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston? He is a producer and writer, known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Desperate Housewives (2004) and Daddio (2000). Karen Gillian 11. This Infinity Stone is guarded by the Red Skull in Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame. Joe and Anthony direct "Captain America: Civil War," another massive critical and financial success for Marvel. “He’s been reading my column for years and he’s a big fantasy football player,” Berry said. “It was awful,” he said, citing the fact he had to go through two years of not just Endgame talk and speculation, but Infinity War too. The last couple of times I turned to Thor and I’m like ‘Don’t you have a magic hammer?’ or something like that. The answers were coming, but not for a few hours. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. So, I also realize ‘Oh I must be Hydra.’”. All due respect, I don’t want to be a jerk here but can we do a little bit better?’ You’d get it. “He said, ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like a SHIELD agent.’ And I said, ‘Robert, coming from you that’s an amazing compliment.