You know, I guess one person can make a difference.
That’s the line that Stan Lee said to Peter Parker when he cameoed in Spider-Man 3, starring Tobey Maguire. And that could not be a better quote on the comic maestro himself. His imagination and creativity have not only inspired generations but also fuelled the comic movie industry and created megastars out of actors.
Marvel Comics' Real-Life Superhero passed away at 95. He left behind iconic superhero characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther and many more. Lee started in the business in 1939, and through the years, created character after character that stood the test of time.
Thanks for the surge of comic book-turned movies in the last two decades, his works have found new fans with the younger generation, who grew up not with his comics but with the movies featuring his comics.
But fame did not get into Lee’s head. He’s always been humble about his works, "I used to think what I did was not very important. People are building bridges and engaging in medical research, and here I was doing stories about fictional people who do extraordinary, crazy things and wear costumes. But I suppose I have come to realize that entertainment is not easily dismissed." The last few years have not been easy on him.
He lost his wife last year, also at 95, and was embroiled in a few lawsuits with the people that worked for him. He also battled health issues and there were even reports of elderly abuse against him. His passing is a great loss to the industry and fans all over the world. For the longest time, generations of us enter a cinema to watch a Marvel movie and eagerly anticipate his cameo, and excitedly whisper to each other when he appears. He even made a crossover and appeared in a DC movie- Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.
All good things must come to an end, and to celebrate this master storyteller’s life, here’s a look at the top 5 cameo’s he has made.
5. Daredevil (2003)
The movie starring Ben Affleck may not rank high on our comic movie chart, but Lee’s cameo certainly does. In it, he plays a pedestrian waiting to cross the road, but is pre-occupied with reading his newspaper. And just about when he is going to step off the pavement at an inopportune time, he gets stopped.
4. The Avengers (2012)
Stan Lee is obviously someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously, and his appearance in The Avengers is of him as a sceptical citizen who is interviewed in the aftermath of the Battle of New York. And it’s hilarious.
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
This is one of the funniest cameos. Captain America (Chris Evans), now in modern day, is in need of his uniform to go fix this Bucky/ Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) problem, and heads to the museum to steal his uniform. And Lee plays the security guard at said museum, and when he finds Captain America’s uniform missing, he is utterly dismayed at the prospect of being fired.
2. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
This ranks at number two because his cameo is giving us all the emotions right now. By the time Spider-Man 3 rolled around, Sam Raimi’s trilogy’s popularity is waning, and Stan Lee’s cameo line in the movie is probably the movie’s best thing. And now that we watch it again, incredibly poignant.
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
This is our top Stan Lee appearance. He appears at the party scene, as a veteran who takes a drink of Thor (Chris Hemsworth)’s thousand-year-old alcohol, despite Thor’s advice that it’s not for mere mortals. He gets trashed and had to be carried out of the place, not without a shouting his catchphrase: Excelsior!
And here are all the Stan Lee cameos combined:
Goodbye, Stan Lee. Thanks for all the comics.
