Tom Hanks shared a surprise reunion with one of his most iconic on-screen companions during the Subway Series matchup between the New York Mets and New York Yankees at Citi Field on May 16. The 69-year-old actor was spotted wearing Mets gear when he was greeted by Mets mascot Mr. Met, who arrived dressed as Wilson, the beloved volleyball companion from the 2000 film Cast Away.
The mascot’s costume featured Wilson’s unmistakable red handprint face from the Robert Zemeckis-directed classic. In a video shared by SNYTV on Instagram, Hanks immediately recognized the character and shouted, “Wilson!” before shaking hands with Mr. Met. The two then appeared to chat about baseball as the mascot opened a notebook labeled “Baseball.”
In Cast Away, Hanks portrayed FedEx troubleshooter Chuck Noland, who becomes stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash in the South Pacific. Wilson, a volleyball marked with a bloody handprint, becomes his only companion during the years of isolation.
Hanks has revisited the iconic prop before during baseball appearances. In April 2022, he brought Wilson onto the field while throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game against the San Francisco Giants. Before delivering the pitch, Hanks raised the volleyball above his head for the crowd to see.
The actor also reflected on Wilson’s unexpected importance to Cast Away during a November 2024 interview with ReelBlend. Looking back on the production, Hanks explained, “We had a different sort of screenplay in that … Chuck Noland spoke all the time. We got to the island and literally, the very first shot, we say (to Zemeckis) ‘I don’t see any reason for Chuck to talk here, unless you think somebody is there.’ ”
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“And Bob said, ‘You know, that’d be great because you’re not really going to have any lines until Wilson shows up.’ I said, ‘Perfect,’ ” said Hanks.
Mets Rally Past Yankees In Dramatic Subway Series Finale
The celebrity-filled Subway Series weekend ended with the New York Mets defeating the New York Yankees 7 to 6 in 10 innings on Sunday, May 18, after a late comeback at Citi Field. The Mets entered the ninth inning trailing before Tyrone Taylor hit a game-tying three-run home run around the left field foul pole. Rookie Carson Benge later delivered a walk-off fielder’s choice in the 10th inning after two Yankees infielders collided on the play.
As it stands now, the victory marked the Mets’ first win when trailing after eight innings since Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series. The team had previously lost 96 consecutive games in that situation. Juan Soto was among the first players out of the dugout as the Mets celebrated the win on the field. Sean Manaea also helped stabilize the game in relief, retiring six of the final seven batters he faced.
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The Mets won two of three games in the series against the Yankees despite dealing with multiple injuries, including Clay Holmes’ recent broken fibula. The victory gave the team additional momentum as they continue navigating a difficult stretch of the season.
