Is Hannibal Buress in trouble? Are dangerous people after him? Does he need to be protected by the Avengers? We ask these questions because for some unknown reason the comedian sent a double in his place to attend the premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming in Hollywood last night.

In a story we first came across at Entertainment Weekly, Buress put out a call on Twitter (now deleted) for “a lookalike with solid comedic timing for an event tonight,” for which he offered up the tidy sum of $500. That event turned out to be the Los Angeles premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which Buress plays a minor role as a gym teacher at Peter Parker’s high school. And it worked, as he found someone who fit the bill, though in the truth the gentleman is more “casually passable as Hannibal” than truly doppelgänger-level.

https://twitter.com/hannibalburess/status/880244337405296643

This is as funny as it is ridiculous, but… why would he do this? Did he not want to attend but was contractually obligated to? Was it just some silly prank that he thought would be good for a laugh? We have so many questions, but his response to news reports leads to more questions.

https://twitter.com/hannibalburess/status/880297397376757760

Normally when you fear missing out on something that means you, you know, go.

Whatever his reason, Buress is really enjoying the fruits of his labor (well, his replacement’s labor), as he seems to be getting a kick out of the fact that “Hannibal Buress” was still interviewed earnestly on the red carpet.

https://twitter.com/hannibalburess/status/880345703377252352

Hopefully Hannibal Buress is not in real danger. Or the fake Hannibal Buress, for that matter.

Why do you think he did this? Give us your best theories in the comments below.

Featured Image: Comedy Central