Vanessa Kirby is phenomenal as Sue Storm a.k.a. The Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but let's not forget the star she succeeded in the role, but we can’t forget about the star she succeeded, Jessica Alba. During the early 2000s, Alba played pre-MCU version of Sue in Tim Story's FF duology, and the actress is still recognized for her role in the superhero flick. Alba herself also seems to have love for her version of Marvel's first family, and it seems there's a Stan Lee-related reason why she think it's the best.

The late Stan Lee was a fixture on the sets of Marvel-related films, as he'd make his famous cameos. Among the movies Lee appeared in was 2005's Fantastic Four, which saw Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis play the titular heroes alongside Alba. During an appearance on SiriusXM, which was shared to YouTube, Alba recalled working on the film and remembered a sweet moment she shared with Lee:

That is amazing! Some might argue, fantastic even. There are many reasons to love Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm. Whenever Johnny, Reed, and Ben have their spats in the films, Sue is the one who serves as the voice of reason. The Invisible Woman is also a brainiac, using her scientific knowledge as chief genetics researcher.

Sue Storm’s superhuman abilities are very relatable, too, in that her emotions helped drive the intensity of her powers. Also, Alba’s casting as Sue remains significant, given she's a Hispanic actress, and she's since shared her thoughts on diversity in the ongoing MCU. All in all, though, I can definitely understand why Alba would be so flattered by Stan Lee's comments.

Jessica Alba previously reflected on her time as Sue Storm, calling it a “fond” experience. She relished the opportunity to portray a superhero who was “nurturing and feminine” but also a “fearsome badass.” The American actress/businesswoman continued to talk about what else makes her Fantastic Four experience so memorable to her:

That “vibe” that Jessica Alba was talking about must have been really strong. With that, it’s no wonder she previously said she’d “jump at the chance” to play Sue again. While Vanessa Kirby brings her own energy to the MCU's iteration of the character, Alba’s early portrayal of the superheroine is great (and Stan Lee-approved, too).

I think the chances of Alba reprising Sue Storm seem slim to none at this point. However, fans can still revisit her Lee-praised portrayal. Watch her memorable performance in her two Fantastic Four movies, which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription. And, with that same membership, fans can stream First Steps as well.

Even though Spider-Man has seen a lot of big-screen iterations across the past two decades, Tobey Maguire's version of the character is most definitely counted among the best Spider-Man movies we've ever seen. To pay tribute to the first trilogy of movies starring the beloved Marvel Comics character, here are the best quotes from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies from the '00s.

“Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.” - Uncle Ben, Spider-Man

There's of course no quote more iconic for the Spider-Man character than this one. The phrase was first used in the Spider-Man comics in a 1962 issue written by Stan Lee as part of the last panel of the comic, initially without ties to Uncle Ben. The connection of the quote with Peter and his uncle came later. And, Michael Sheen made the quote especially unforgettable in the first 2002 movie when he imparts some wisdom about growing up to Peter just hours before his untimely death. The quote ultimately helps create Spider-Man.

"I believe there’s a hero in all of us. That keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally, allows us to die with pride. Even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 2

Rosemary Harris' Aunt May established herself as a particularly perspective figure in the first movie, but her best quote comes in the middle of Spider-Man 2. In the plot line that has Peter Parker giving up his role as Spidey, May gives the hero a pep talk, without even knowing it. The powerful moment happens when Peter's young neighbor asks Peter where Spider-Man is and if he'll come back while helping Aunt May move.

"You know, I guess one person can make a difference." - Stan Lee, Spider-Man 3

There were a lot of great Stan Lee cameos during his lifetime, but one of the most special has to be when he crosses paths with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker during Spider-Man 3. The creator of the comic book character has had a lot of funny appearances in Marvel movies over the years, but this is one of the most earnest of them as he says, "One person can make a difference."

“You know who I am. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man

"Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man" is a famous phrase the hero says in the comic books, and in 2002's Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire's version gets to say it himself. In a scene where he saves Mary Jane Watson for the first time at the Thanksgiving Parade, she asks him who she is and this is how he responds.

“Being brilliant is not enough, young man. You have to work hard. Intelligence is not a privilege, it’s a gift. And, you use it for the good of mankind.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

Early in Spider-Man 2, the movie establishes Alfred Molina's Otto Octavius as a brilliant mind who Peter Parker looks up to. Prior to the nuclear physicist becoming the movie's villain, he meets with Parker for a college paper he is writing. During their first conversation, he imparts wisdom about how it's not enough to be a smart person, one has to use their gifts for good things.

“If he doesn’t want to be famous, I’ll make him infamous!” - J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man

In the Spider-Man universe, J. Jonah Jameson is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, who is content with painting Spider-Man as a villain, likely to sell more papers. In one particularly memorable quote from the first 2002 appearance of the comic book character played by J.K. Simmons, he declares he wants to make Spider-Man "infamous." The character is so beloved he returned for Tom Holland's version.

“The cunning warrior attacks neither body nor mind. The heart, Osborn! First we attack his heart.” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

In the first Spider-Man movie, the hero faces a formidable foe in Norman Osborn's Green Goblin. The fantastic Willem Dafoe plays the character almost like a rendition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In one scene, as Norman realizes Peter Parker is Spider-Man, the Green Goblin instructs that he defeats the hero by going after his "heart" which includes terrorizing both Aunt May and Mary Jane in the third act of the movie.

“You have a knack for saving my life." - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

The most famous scene in the first Spider-Man trilogy is when Mary Jane Watson shares a kiss with Spidey while he's hanging upside down. It happens right after the hero says she has a "knack for getting into trouble" and she responds to the above quote. She asks if she can thank him for saving her the second time and they have a romantic moment in the rain. However, Kirsten Dunst's own experience with the scene was "kind of miserable" considering the pouring rain of it all.

“No matter what I do. No matter how hard I try. The ones I love will always be the ones who pay.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

At the end of the first Spider-Man movie, Peter Parker wins the heart of Mary Jane Watson after she was previously with Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn in the transition between high school and college. Despite Peter's longing for Mary Jane and her confession of love, the first movie ends with Peter saying he can only be friends with her before a narration has the character sharing his fears as a hero.

“Love should never be a secret. If you keep something as complicated as love stored up inside, it can make you sick.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

In the Spider-Man trilogy, Peter Parker has been in love with Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson since they became neighbors as kids. However, when he becomes Spider-Man he makes a decision that he cannot pursue her romantically because it would put her in danger. When Peter meets Otto early in the movie, he insinuates there's a girl he likes (MJ of course) but hasn't made it known. Otto suggests he should let her know with poetry.

“Hey kiddo, let mom and dad talk for a minute, will ya?” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man

In Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson's sharp tongue gets in the way of a squabble Spider-Man and Green Goblin are having at the Daily Bugle. It leads Spider-Man to hilariously use his webbing to trap Jameson's mouth shut and continue forth fighting his foe.

“I’m Spider-Man no more. No more.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

In a 1967 issue of The Amazing Spiderman. the Marvel hero decides to be "Spider-Man No More!" in an iconic comic book cover. And in Sam Raimi's 2004 movie, Peter Parker emulates the issue by deciding to hang up his heroics and be a regular guy again. When Peter Parker says this in the movie, it's an awesome tribute to the comic books. The themes of the movie particularly continue to resonate because of how relatable it is to see Spidey struggle with all the responsibilities of life.

"Uncle Ben meant the world to us, but he wouldn’t want us living one second with revenge in our hearts. It’s like a poison, it can take you over. Before you know it, turn us into something ugly." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker's personality takes a turn when an alien symbiote attaches to him. This happens as he learns the true killer behind Uncle Ben's death is alive and on the loose in New York City. After Peter thinks he has killed Flint Marko / Sandman, he tells Aunt May proudly that Spider-Man has done so. However, Aunt May preaches how she would never want revenge on her late husband, much to Peter's initial dismay.

“So here I am standing in your doorway. I’ve always been standing in your doorway. Isn’t it about time somebody saved your life?” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man 2

The end of Spider-Man 2 almost acts as our favorite romantic comedy. During the finale, Mary Jane, who has recently learned that Peter Parker is Spider-Man decides to walk out on her own wedding and show up at his door in her wedding dress to tell him that she doesn't care about the risk of being Spider-Man's girlfriend, because she wants to be there for him. It's the sweetest moment.

“But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall. Die trying. In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother?” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

While the Sam Raimi movies have some powerful superhero quotes, there's also a good amount of great ones from villains that describe their side of things. Such as when Green Goblin tries to convince Spider-Man to join him in his evil plots by sharing how the people he fights for will turn against him. This is certainly true for Goblin's alter ego Norman Osborn, who was recently ousted from his company amidst his villainous turn. As the trilogy shows time and time again, Spider-Man always has kind strangers who stand up for him.

"The truth is, you don’t know what you feel, except you know what kind of man you want to be. It’s as if you’ve reached the unreachable, and you weren’t ready for it.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

When Aunt May gets hospitalized by the Green Goblin in Spider-Man, Mary Jane visits her and Peter Parker. During a memorable scene for the pair, Peter Parker shares his feelings for his longtime next-door neighbor by sharing how looking in her eyes makes him feel. It feels like the moment MJ really sees and falls for Peter.

“Did Edison sleep before he turned on the light? Did Marconi sleep before he turned on the radio? Did Beethoven sleep before he wrote the Fifth?" - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

Prior to Otto Octavius becoming Doc Ock, the nuclear physicist shows his excitement for his fusion reactor experiment by comparing his presentation of his turning on his invention to Thomas Edison turning on the lightbulb and so forth. Little does he know it will fail and turn him into Spider-Man's latest adversary.

“I have a father. His name was Ben Parker.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

At the end of Spider-Man, Peter Parker / Spider-Man learns that Green Goblin has been Norman Osborn the whole time. in a last-ditch effort to exterminate Spidey, Norman acts like he needs help from him because he's like a father to him. However, it becomes a sweet moment instead when Peter declares the late Uncle Ben was his father. It's a great callback moment because right before he died, Peter suggested he shouldn't act like his father when he is not.

"You start by doing the hardest thing. You forgive yourself." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 3

Peter Parker goes in a dark place over the course of Spider-Man 3 that leads him to really treat Mary Jane in particular poorly. In one scene he even tries to make her jealous by taking Gwen Stacy to the jazz club she is working at and showing off in front of her. The scene leads to Peter accidentally slapping his ex-girlfriend. When he opens up to Aunt May about feeling bad about his actions, she suggests he must forgive himself before he can do anything else. Aunt May always knows what to say!

“Planning is not a major at this university.” - Dr. Connor, Spider-Man 2

Early in Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker is having a hard time juggling being a superhero and a regular guy. His professor, Dr. Connor, gives him a reality check when he throws back his words of "planning" to do something as something that will not help him succeed. The words hit deep for Peter, and ultimately he tries to not be Spider-Man in order to get back on track.

“He's just a kid.” - Random New Yorker, Spider-Man 2

In one of the best scenes in the Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man saves a train full of citizens from Doc Ock, but in the meantime exposes his identity to them. As they all gaze on his face, one New Yorker comments about how the hero is "just a kid." It's an emotional quote because it shows that the city probably doesn't imagine that Spider-Man is basically a teenager.

“There’s only one man who’s always been there for me, who makes me feel like I’m more than I ever thought I could be. That I’m just me… and that’s OK. The truth is I love you. Oh, I love you so much Peter.” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

At the end of Spider-Man, while Peter and friends are attending the funeral of Norman Osborn, Mary Jane confesses her love for him with these romantic words. However, she's met with deep disappointment and rejection when Peter suggests he can only be her friend.

“Follow the cold shiver running down your spine.” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

During Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn does an incredible job of going between playing Osborn and the Goblin. One great quote from the character is when his bad side tells Norman to follow the "cold shiver" running down his spine to find him.

“Listen to me now.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

At the end of Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man / Peter Parker successfully gets Otto to snap out of his villainous tendencies by knocking some sense into him. It leads to a powerful sequence where Otto asks his robotic tentacle arms to listen to him instead, and therein Otto stops his own plot from likely destroying the city, declaring he will not become a "monster".

"You don’t understand, I’m not an empty seat anymore. I’m different. Punch me, I bleed." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

In the middle of Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker hangs up being Spider-Man and tries to be there for MJ by going to her play and making time for her. While the mutual feelings are certainly there, one can't blame MJ for feeling burned after he rejected her love. However, Peter makes a case that he's "different" and wants to try with her now.

“Do you love me or not?” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man 2

The Spider-Man trilogy takes great pleasure in the frustrating push and pull of Peter Parker and MJ, mostly at the cost of MJ due to her being in the dark about why he keeps shutting her out of her life. In one famous scene in the movie when they get coffee, MJ boils it down by blunting asking if he loves her or not. She was tired of the mixed signals, and rightfully so.

"Call Deborah. Tell her not to open the caviar." - J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man 2

J. Jonah Jameson almost becomes Mary Jane's father-in-law in Spider-Man 2 until she runs out on her own wedding to be with Peter Parker. In a funny moment, Jameson turns to her wife to make sure the caterer knows not to open the expensive caviar he shelled out for the reception. The editor-in-chief is known to be a penny pincher, so it's so on-brand.

Where do all these guys come from?” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Spidey comes head-to-head with Sandman for the first time early in the movie. When he finds himself emptying out his suit with sand, he questions where all the random villains he fights come from, and it's so hilarious! Spider-Man has defeated some wild villains in his heyday.

"There are bigger things happening here than me and you." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

After the events of Spider-Man, the hero finds an enemy in Harry Osborn, who believes he killed his father and makes his mission to avenge him. He is almost successful with the help of Doc Ock until he finds out that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While Harry becomes caught up with the matters of his late father, the reveal comes as Otto has MJ and is about to set off his powerful and dangerous experiment, and stops Harry from saying these words.

“I’m gonna put some dirt in your eye.“ - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker starts acting nasty thanks to the Venom symbiote that attaches to him. This manifests itself through Peter's competition with another photographer, Eddie Brock. When Eddie publishes a fake photograph of Spider-Man in a black suit, he says this.

"It’s the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what’s right." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 3

While the end of the Spider-Man movies didn't end in a way we like (though we still have hope for Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi), it did end with a solid quote about how we, no matter who we are, have the power to choose to do what's right rather than go the way of the villain. In the context of the movie, Peter Parker's journey ends with the funeral of his best friend, Harry, who worked alongside him as a fellow hero right before his death, after previously letting vengeance into his heart.

“No thanks, I had a bite.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

The Spider-Man script goes the punny route when Peter Parker is initially bitten by a radioactive spider, which turns him into a hero. After the field trip occurs that changes his life, he's not feeling so hot. When he returns home, his Aunt and Uncle ask if he wants some dinner, but under his breath, he says he's already "had a bite."

In the history of comic book superheroes, the two biggest names have always been Marvel and DC. While many, especially in recent years, have downplayed the “war” between the two major comic companies, it can’t be denied that there is competition between them. So it should come as no surprise that Stan Lee used to throw shade at Superman, even if he ultimately still loved the character.

An old clip has recently resurfaced showing Larry King interviewing Stan Lee and King asks about his favorite DC character. Lee says that Superman is his favorite because the character launched superhero comics in general. That doesn’t mean he can’t have some sun at Supes' expense, as Lee pokes fun at Clark Kent’s disguise and the fact that nobody recognized Clark as Superman because of a pair of glasses. Lee said…

Lee is far from the only person to joke about the fact that Superman’s disguise was rubbish. While some science has actually argued Clark Kent's disguise works, at least some people would recognize that the two men were the same. Only in a fictional world can you claim that nobody would realize Clark is Superman.

Still, despite the silliness of the character, Stan Lee still loves Superman. He calls him his favorite DC character, and he’s certainly a lot of people’s favorite superhero of all time. If nothing else Lee appreciates that had it not been for Superman, it’s possible we never would have had the boom in superhero comics that made Marvel, and Stan Lee, household names, leading to all the great Marvel and DC movies we love. Check out Lee’s full comments below...

The most recent Superman movie, Man of Steel largely avoided this issue by not introducing Clark Kent and his glasses until the very end. The sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice kept glasses-wearing Clark to a minimum, and didn’t have many of the same characters interacting with both Clark and Superman.

A brand new Superman movie will be out next year. It will be interesting to see how it handles this question. While we’ve seen an official image of David Corenswet as Superman, we haven’t seen one of him as Clark Kent, though there are many opinions about Clark's hairstyle. While we don’t know how much time the movie will give over to the two sides of Clark’s personality. Perhaps the new film will find some different way to separate Clark from Superman that’s more “realistic” or maybe it will just be willing to have fun and pretend glasses are a significant disguise.

In some ways, it’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly six years since the death of Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee. Fans have been without the famed writer and publisher’s creative prowess as well as his sharp wit and warm personality. Not only that, but the masses have no longer been treated to Lee’s signature cameos. Still, it’s interesting to wonder how he could’ve popped up in Marvel Cinematic Universe productions released after his passing. CinemaBlend posed that question to the cast of the new show Agatha All Along, and Kathryn Hahn and the cast had some great suggestions.
Throughout the duration of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Stan Lee appeared in various roles, thanks to his delightful cameos. He played a truck driver in Thor, a postman in Captain America: Civil War and (thanks in part to de-aging tech) portrayed a hippie in Avengers: Endgame. So how exactly would he have fit into the audience-pleasing Agatha All Along? Well, when our own Sean O’Connell posed the question to Kathryn Hahn, she threw out a pitch that’s honestly perfect:

As Sean mentioned, there’s always fanfiction. He also posed that same question to showrunner Jac Schaeffer. The EP, who also spoke to us about Episode 1’s “eat my ass, chief” (which she thought would be scrapped) had a tough time coming up with a Lee cameo. However, Schaeffer did share one funny suggestion:

Jac Schaeffer’s show promises some scares for audiences, so it actually would’ve been fitting for “Stan the Man” to humorously jump from behind a tree and scare the titular witch or a member of her coven. Schaeffer’s fellow producer, Mary Livanos, went in a different direction with her idea. Instead of pitching the late comics writer as a spectre of some sort, she opined that he could take on a more grounded role:

I can definitely imagine a scene in which Stan Lee (while in character) walks by the foundation of the home Wanda Maximoff was to share with Vision and mutters, “Darn, witch.” Such a scene would even be made better if Agatha and/or Teen were also in the vicinity when Lee’s character said it. In all honesty, Lee could’ve appeared on the show in a myriad of ways if he were still with us, and it’s fun to think about them.

Ahead of his death, Stan Lee said he relished his cameos, as they allowed him the opportunity to truly feel like an actor for “12 seconds.” His brief big-screen appearances certainly never disappointed, and I’m glad that he enjoyed doing them as much as many enjoyed watching them. As time goes on, I’ll continue to imagine how Lee could’ve popped up in recently released and upcoming Marvel TV shows and movies. I see it as a sweet way to keep the man’s memory alive in my mind.

You can catch new episodes of Agatha All Along when they debut on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT for anyone with a Disney+ subscription. Also, be sure to check out the 2024 TV schedule for other spooky fare that’s airing this fall.

While the list of A-listers who have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe is long and diverse, another list that’s worth looking into is the wild group of actors, performers and others who have said yes to doing cameos. So, in celebration of those folks, here are the 32 best cameos in the MCU. 

Harry Styles As Eros In The Eternals 

Big names pop up in the MCU all the time, however, they’re almost always well-known actors. While Harry Styles has had a few acting roles, it’s not his primary profession, so yes, it was shocking when the singer showed up as Eros, Thanos’ brother, in the post-credits scene of The Eternals. However, since the film’s release in 2021, Styles’ future in the MCU has remained unknown, leaving his role as simply a cameo and nothing more.  

Blake Lively As Lady Deadpool In Deadpool & Wolverine 

Leading into Deadpool & Wolverine’s release, the speculation about who would play Lady Deadpool was running rampant. However, it wasn’t all too shocking when it was revealed that Ryan Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively was playing the female variant of her partner’s merc with the mouth.  

Sam Neill As Odin’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

While the Thor: Ragnarok cast is stacked with legends like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum and more, Taika Waititi also assembled quite the ensemble of cameos to play a troupe of actors in Asgard who put on a play about Thor and his family. This included Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, who portrayed Anthony Hopkins’ King of Asgard, Odin.  

Stan Lee As Various Characters 

While future MCU projects sadly won’t have any in-person Stan Lee cameos, we can always re-watch the Marvel movies in order to see the legendary comic writer. Before his death in 2018, Stan Lee made cameos in just about every Marvel project, whether it was from Marvel Studios, Fox or Sony. 

Some fan-favorite cameos from him included his role as a security guard in Captain America: The Winter Solider, a New York resident being interviewed on the news in The Avengers and an astronaut telling a story to the Watchers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, among many, many, many others. 

Matt Damon As Loki’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

In the play Loki orchestrated in Thor: Ragnarok that tells the (not so true) story of him and his family, Matt Damon was cast to play the role of Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief. Which honestly, is inspired casting. Damon also popped in the non-MCU Deadpool 2. 

Kevin Bacon As Himself In Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Bringing a joke from Guardians of the Galaxy full circle almost eight years later, Peter’s hero Kevin Bacon finally appears. However, it’s kind of against his will, because Drax and Mantis decide to go to Earth and steal the Footloose actor to give to Chris Pratt’s character as a gift of holiday cheer.  

Miley Cyrus As Mainframe In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we see a group of Ravagers approach The Guardians. One of them is a robot head named Mainframe, and it's voiced by Miley Cyrus.

Trevor Noah As Griot In Black Panther

Much like how Paul Bettany voiced J.A.R.V.I.S., Trevor Noah voiced Griot, Shuri’s artificial intelligence she uses at her lab in Wakanda in Black Panther. 

Melissa McCarthy As Hela’s Actress In Thor: Love and Thunder 

Adding to the mix of A-listers playing actors who are playing Thor characters (try saying that five times fast), Melissa McCarthy took on the role of Cate Blanchett’s Hela – the goddess of death – in Thor: Love and Thunder. She joined the theatrical company that already featured Sam Neill, Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth to reenact the events of Thor: Ragnarok in Taika Waititi’s second movie about the God of Thunder.

Kenneth Branagh As Asgardian Distress Call In Avengers: Infinity War

You probably know that Kenneth Branagh directed the first Thor movie. However, what you might not know is he provided a meaningful Easter egg for Avengers: Infinity War. He voiced the Asgardian Distress Call that was played after Thanos attacked their ship. 

Luke Hemsworth As Thor’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

Who else could play Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in an Asgardian play about the adventures of the God of Thunder and his family? Truly, picking Luke Hemsworth to play his real-life brother’s character was fantastic! The added bonus that makes all this even better is their other brother, Liam Hemsworth also auditioned to play the god back in the day. 

Bruce Campbell As Pizza Poppa In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw director Sam Raimi’s return to the superhero genre. With him came his The Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, who played Pizza Poppa in the Doctor Strange movie. 

Bill Maher As Himself In Iron Man 3

During a montage of news clips in Iron Man 3, Bill Maher pops up as they’re talking about War Machine’s rebrand into The Iron Patriot. 

Charlie Cox As Daredevil In Spider-Man: No Way Home

If you saw Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters on opening night, you likely heard applause when Charlie Cox made his big-screen MCU debut as Matt Murdock. While he played Daredevil for three seasons on his Netflix show, and he has returned as the character since this cameo where he was giving Peter Parker legal advice, this was the first time we’d seen Cox back in action in years. 

Tom Morello As Gaurd In Iron Man

Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello made one of the first cameos in the MCU when he popped up for a quick second in Iron Man. In the movie, he played a guard in the Ten Rings camp that Tony Stark was being held at. 

Joan Rivers As Herself In Iron Man 3

Along with Bill Maher and a bunch of other TV personalities, Joan Rivers popped up to rib on War Machine’s rebranding in Iron Man 3. 

Harry Dean Stanton As Security Guard In The Avengers

In The Avengers, there’s a security guard who finds Bruce Banner after he crashes into the Earth as Hulk. That guard is played by Harry Dean Stanton, who is best known for his roles in classic films like Alien, The Green Mile, Paris Texas and Repo Man. 

Justin Theroux As Police Officer In Iron Man 2

Not only did Justin Theroux write Iron Man 2, but he also had the smallest blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it cameo, per CBR. He played one of the police officers who arrested Justin Hammer and escorted Pepper Potts off the premises toward the end of the film. 

Rob Zombie As Ravager Navigator In Guardians of the Galaxy

In many of James Gunn’s movies, Rob Zombie makes a cameo. After doing that for Slither and Super, he lent his voice to his friend's first Marvel movie by voicing a Ravager Navigator in Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Megan Thee Stallion As Herself In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

We can thank Jameela Jamil for Megan Thee Stallion’s incredible cameo in She-Hulk. The rapper appeared in an episode of the Disney+ show during a courtroom scene, and then she popped up one more time to twerk with the titular attorney. 

David Hasselhoff As Himself In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

When Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill was a kid he’d pretend that David Hasselhoff was his dad. So, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Hasselhoff was part of one of the songs on the soundtrack – “Guardians Inferno” –  and it plays during the end credits. And at the very end of those credits, you can see his face pop up as he says the final words of the song. Talk about an epic cameo.

Brett Goldstein As Hercules In Thor: Love and Thunder

In the post-credit scene for Thor: Love and Thunder, Brett Goldstein appeared as Hercules. In his brief scene, he was shown speaking with Russell Crowe’s Zeus. It was thrilling to see the Ted Lasso star show up as the son of Zeus, however, it’s been years since that happened, and he hasn’t shown up again. 

Ken Jeong As Security Guard In Avengers: Endgame

Before the Russo Brothers were making big fancy Marvel movies, they worked on Community. So, it’s always fun to see actors from that show pop up in the MCU. For example in Avengers: Endgame, Ken Jeong appeared for a quick cameo as a security guard who is watching over the storage unit that Ant-Man’s van is in. 

Nathan Fillion As Monstrous Inmate In Guardians of the Galaxy And Headpool In Deadpool And Wolverine

You can see Nathan Fillion (looking like himself) as a major member of the supporting cast in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as he plays Master Karja. However, before that, he had a cameo in James Gunn’s first Guardians movie, because he voiced “Monstrous Inmate.” After that, he voiced Headpool during the Deadpool variant fight in Deadpool and Wolverine. 

Brad Pitt As The Vanisher In Deadpool 2

Now, I fully realize Deadpool 2 wasn’t technically in the MCU, but Deadpool and Wolverine is, so this counts. One of the most fun cameos maybe ever came when Brad Pitt appeared for a split second in the Ryan Reynolds-led sequel to play The Vanisher right as he gets electrocuted. 

Joe Russo As Grieving Man In Avengers: Endgame

Joe and Anthony Russo are best known as the guys behind the camera who led some of the best Marvel movies, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and, of course, Avengers: Endgame. So, in this big finale for the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Joe Russo made a cameo as part of Steve Rogers' support group. 

Yvette Nicole Brown As S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent In Avengers: Endgame

The Russo Brothers didn’t forget their roots, and included multiple members of the Community cast in their Marvel movies. This included Yvette Nicole Brown, who played a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers run into when they go back in time to steal Pym Particles. 

David Bradley As Tower Keeper In Captain America: The First Avenger

David Bradley is a legendary British character actor, and you’ll likely recognize him for his role as Filch in the Harry Potter cast or as The Doctor in various episodes of Doctor Who. He also notably played a small role as the Tower Keeper protecting the Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Danny Pudi As Com Tech #1 In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Russo Brothers adore their Community cast, so in their first Marvel movie, they gave Danny Pudi, Abed himself, a little cameo. For a brief minute, you can see him as Com Tech #1 during the beloved Captain America sequel. 

Garrett Morris As Car Driver In Ant-Man

While Ant-Man himself is played by a comedy legend, that actor being Paul Rudd, there’s another hilarious icon in this cast. Yep, original Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris (who actually dressed up as the superhero on the sketch comedy show back in the day) appeared in this movie as a man driving a car that Ant-Man fell onto, and it’s fantastic!

Matthew McConaughey As Cowboypool In Deadpool and Wolverine

When all the variants of Deadpool appeared to fight Deadpool and Wolverine, one of them was Cowboypool. Fittingly, the Western Merc with the Mouth was voiced by Matthew McConaughey.

Henry Cavill As Cavillrine In Deadpool and Wolverine

When Wade Wilson was looking for a Wolverine to bring back to his universe, he came across one version of Logan who was played by Henry Cavill. After seeing fanart of the former Superman as the X-Man, it was clear he was a good fit for the part, and it was incredible to see Deadpool and Wolverine act on the fans’ wishes. 

As you can see the range of these cameos is wide, and frankly legendary. And we’re sure that as Marvel continues to release movies and TV shows, the iconic cameos will keep coming. 

There is no shortage of Stan Lee appearances in the Marvel movies over the years. What started as a very sweet gesture to include the influential comic book creator in live-action movies quickly became a staple of any and all Marvel movies released to theaters, right up until the time that Lee passed away in 2019. But now, we are learning that Stan “The Man” didn’t always want a cameo. He wanted a significant role in an early Marvel movie, and it would have changed the trajectory of at least one major Marvel film franchise.

As we all know, Oscar winner J.K. Simmons played legendary Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man saga, dating back to the original Sam Raimi film that kicked everything off. However, I’m hearing for the first time that Stan Lee was upset that he didn’t get asked to play the part in Raimi’s first movie. At least, according to Simmons. The actor ran through his most significant roles for GQ, and when he talked about getting the part for Spider-Man, he opened up by saying:

Back when Sam Raimi was cooking on Spider-Man, anything seemed possible. There was less pressure on a superhero origin story to perform. At least, far less pressure than what faces the slate of upcoming Marvel movies these days. So casting Stan Lee as Peter Parker’s cantankerous boss, J. Jonah Jameson, makes a lot of sense. It’s a knowing wink to fans of the comics. Lee kind of looked the part. On paper, I really dig it.

At the same time, casting Stan Lee in the role would have robbed us of the delicious performance J.K. Simmons gave (and continues to give) as J. Jonah Jameson. A performance so good, they basically just asked him to return when they needed to revive the character in the MCU:

Will J.K. Simmons continue to play J. Jonah Jameson in upcoming Spider-Man projects? We’re not sure, because we don’t even know when a possible Spider-Man 4 might happen. There has been speculation about when the date could be announced, and if the movie is going to affect the two announced Avengers movies, or be a standalone, street-level story. I hope that there’s room for JJJ in the movie, but time will tell.

It's hard to believe Entourage ended its eight-season run so long ago, in 2011 (not counting the less-than-well-recieved movie in 2015). For the length of the show, one thing that kept audiences coming back for more each week was the great celebrity cameos. What started as a trickle in the first season, became a flood towards the end, with big stars always showing up, usually with hilarious results. Here is our list of some of the funniest celebrity cameos on Entourage. 

Mark Wahlberg

It makes sense that Mark Wahlberg would be the first cameo on the show, appearing in the very first episode of Season 1. Entourage was (very) loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood as a young actor, and the Boogie Nights star was a producer of the show. 

David Schwimmer

A great thing about the cameos was that often the celebrities weren't afraid to poke a little fun at themselves. Take, for example, David Schwimmer's spot in the Season 6 episode "Running on E." Schwimmer sits in a pitch meeting with super agent Ari Gold's (Jeremy Piven) team and offer after offer is for the Friends star to play some sort of neurotic character for comedic effect. The frustration for Schwimmer is palpable. 

Peter Dinklage

One of the most common tropes on the show was the stars taking potshots at Ari. Ari was a character we all loved to hate, but it turns out most of the celebrities playing themselves also hated Ari. Peter Dinklage is one of those when he trades barbs with Ari at a party in the Season 2 "Sundance Kids."

John Stamos

John Stamos was the perfect type of celeb to show on Entourage. It was always fun to see how a cameo appearance might just be an opportunity to take down lovable loser Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon). In a bit of a twist, after getting insulted by Stamos a few times, the two play an epic match of ping pong that ends predicably for Drama in the Season 7 episode "Tequila Sunrise." 

Jeffrey Tambor

Jeffrey Tambor plays a jerk like few others can in Hollywood. When he's playing a fictionalized version of himself being to jerk to his kids, it's comedy gold. Fictional life as a jerk and real life have blurred together for Tambor, but his appearance in Season 6 is still really funny. 

Matt Damon

Matt Damon takes charity very seriously, so his cameo on Entourage, in the Season 6 finale, fits perfectly. It's also a rare time that Vince (Adrian Grenier) is the one getting clowned when he tries to dodge both Damon and Bono into giving money to their charity to help children.  

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer's guest spot on the show is a little different than most on this list. He doesn't play himself, but the role is so brief – and so funny – that it had to be included. In Season 1, the Top Gun: Maverick star plays a "sherpa" living in a giant house in Beverly Hills like a '60s hippie. 

Snoop Dogg

No one brings joy like Snoop Dogg. There is never a time when people are unhappy to see the legendary rapper show up somewhere on TV and Entourage is no exception. The brief interaction between Snoop, Vince, and Eric (Kevin Connolly), partly highlights the confusion of how to pronounce "Cannes" in the Season 4 episode "The Dream Team."

James Cameron

The Season 2 episode "Sundance Kids" really kicked the cameos on the show into overdrive and one of the best of the whole series is James Cameron. Vince is trying to land a role in his Aquaman movie, so Turtle and Drama try to help (and fail). The best part, though, is Cameron's interaction with a barista (played by This Is Us star Chrissy Metz). 

Tom Brady

Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is a die-hard New York Giants fan, so when he meets Tom Brady at a charity golf tournament, he does what any self-respecting fan would do, he blows him off and refuses to shake his hand. It's brilliant. 

Martin Scorsese

Entourage proved just how big it was for celeb cameos when none other than Martin Scorsese appeared for a brief scene to offer Vince a role in his fictional The Great Gatsby movie in the finale of Season 5. You know you've made it when Scorsese gets involved. 

Scarlett Johansson

Season 1 ends with a big-time star appearance when the one and only Scarlett Johansson cameos on the phone with Vince, after Eric promises him to land a date with the superstar actress. It works, though it's the last time we'd see Johansson on the show. 

Stan Lee

Comic legend Stan Lee became the king of cameos with his iconic moments in the MCU universe for years, a streak that ended with his death in 2018. It's all too appropriate that we include him on this list, not only due to Lee's status as a cameo-king but because his quick role is just so funny as he can't quite place where he's seen Vince's adult film star girlfriend, Sasha Grey, before.

Lamar Odom

Entourage was replete with professional athletes throughout its run. Lamar Odom shows up pretty early in the show's run, in "An Offer Refused" in Season 2. The cameo is notable because of the way Drama gets obsessed with how men's calves look, including Odom's, which understandably freaks the NBA star out. 

Bono

Bono's appearance in the Season 6 finale is brilliant. He only appears via computer screen, as he's on a video call with Matt Damon and teams up with Damon to gang up on Vince to guilt him into getting on board with their charity. It's vintage Bono, pushing a charity but not taking himself as seriously as the world perceives him to be. 

Bobby Flay

Ari being a jerk to someone isn't a surprise, but Ari being a jerk to Bobby Flay is, pardon the pun, pure gold. Flay is great playing himself as the chef at his own restaurant, one of Ari's favorites, but the two bicker before Flay has had enough in the Season 8 episode "Whiz Kid." 

Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara's cameo is notable because she's not playing herself. While she herself is perfect for the role as a Colombian actress auditioning for the movie Medellin, it's funny because of how ridiculous the rest of Vince's team reacts to her. The first episode of Season 2 is one of the most unique, and funniest, of the show's run. 

M. Night Shyamalan

M. Night Shyamalan's appearance in the episode "Sorry, Harvey" in Season 4 is classic Entourage. Playing himself, he's angry at Ari for not reading his latest script and confronts the super agent to call him on it. It's the kind of cameo we've come to expect from this show, a major star fighting with Ari. 

Christina Aguilera

The Season 7 finale, "Lose Yourself" is one of the saddest of the show, for a few reasons. One is Ari throwing a lavish party for his wife to keep her from leaving him complete with Christina Aguilera singing "You Are Beautiful," only to have his wife not show.  Aguilera gets mad at Ari (naturally) and demands his Lakers playoffs tickets to keep performing. 

Adrian Peterson

NFL superstar Adrian Peterson selling a dinosaur skull. Is there anything more that needs to be said? The Season 7 episode "Tequila and Coke" has a great moment poking fun at people investing in fossils, and yes, Nic Cage gets a shout-out. 

Zac Efron

It's no surprise that Ari would be trying to steal a client from another agent, but what makes Zac Efron's cameo on Entourage so funny is his interaction with a fan while on the phone with Ari. A mom using her daughter to get Efron's autograph (and pushing for, um, more) is hilarious. 

Kanye West

Vince and his crew have no problem asking anyone for a favor. Kanye West is the victim of one of the most outlandish requests when they beg him for a ride on his private plane to France, even though Ye is headed for London in "No Cannes Do" from Season 4. The rapper is stunned and doesn't hide it, but still, who can turn down Vince? No one, not even Ye.

David Spade

David Spade is the perfect star for a cameo on Entourage. In his, he's got women on both arms and plays a total jerk. While he's surely not a jerk, he somehow has that public perception, which is what makes the cameo so much fun in the Season 8 episode titled "The Big Bang." Spade is just hilarious. 

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is clearly a good sport. Despite the show taking a shot at the pro golfer's failure at the 2006 U.S. Open, he later agreed to appear on the show, if only to show up Ari. A chance meeting on the golf course between Mickelson, and Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara, led to the role. Kizmet. 

50 Cent

50 Cent makes one of the briefest cameos on the show, but it's one of the best. When he sees Turtle driving, he pulls up alongside and manages to take Turtle down a notch, despite the fancy ride he's driving in. Turtle has a rough time in his birthday episode, "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car," from Season 6.

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin's first cameo (he made two) on Entourage came in an episode named after him, "The Sorkin Notes" in Season 6. Sorkin is caught up in some drama in Ari's office that he wants no part of and is hilarious in a rare acting role for the writer and director. Now can we get that West Wing revival starring Sterling K. Brown that Sorkin had an idea for, please?

Dean Cain

Another very brief cameo comes from Dean Cain. The former Superman actor disrupts one of Drama's auditions, which crushes Drama, as he figures there's no one he can compete with Cain for the part. It's vintage Johnny Drama in the Season 6 episode "Scared Straight." It's another moment in which you can't help but feel terrible for Drama. 

Eminem

The Season 7 finale, "Lose Yourself," not only foreshadows Vince's downward spiral, but Eminem's cameo. In one of the lowest moments of Vince's life, he first insults Minka Kelly, then gets into a fistfight with Eminem. It's as sad as it is funny, a line the show walked brilliantly in the episode. 

Alex Rodriguez

How tragic would be to hear that you lost out on a ton of money from former Yankee Alex Rodriguez? That's what happens to Turtle when the shortstop-turned-third-baseman shows up on screen to tell Turtle that the tequila company he once owned a lot of stock in went public after he sold out. Ouch. 

Steve Nash

Poor Steve Nash. The NBA star was at the height of his fame when he was unwittingly cornered by Eric at his manager's office (Scott Caan). Eric dumps all of his girlfriend problems on the Canadian basketball player's feet in the Season 6 episode "Murphy's Lie," and all Nash can do is look stunned. 

Johnny Galecki

Johnny Galecki's role in Entourage was a little more than one cameo, it was more like three cameos over three episodes and he plays a fictionalized version of himself who makes Eric's life hell by dating Eric's ex-girlfriend Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui). This version of Galecki is terrible but completely hilarious. 

Jessica Simpson

As Ari tries to protect his client base, he's forced to go hat in hand to a client who's mad at him for not caring when her dog died. Jessica Simpson meets Ari at the door in "Bottoms Up" from Season 7, and in classic Entourage fashion, makes Ari look like the jerk that he is, despite his insincere attempt to gift another dog to Simpson. It sums up everything a great Entourage cameo should be. A big star, an unrepentant Ari, and some choice lines. 

This is a list that could be almost endless, and we didn't even get into the multiple cameos in the Entourage movie, one of which featured Channing Tatum that didn't actually happen. 

Ah yes, the Marvel vs. DC narrative. The discourse pitting two of the biggest superhero comic book publishing companies in the world against each other dates back to the early 1900s. That has continued in Hollywood in recent years with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe and Warner Bros. DC Extended Universe. With the latest entry from the list upcoming superhero movies -- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom -- now in theaters, let’s take a look at this incredible rundown of Marvel actors trash talking their “rivals” over the years. 

While there certainly has to be a version of DC actors doing the same in the works, this compilation of Marvel stars -- compiled from years' worth of footage -- taking their best dig at the DC universe is hilarious. Check out the YouTube clip below: 

Of course, a lot of their quips more specifically have to do with journalists and such stoking the flames over the years. In that opening clip taken from a comic convention, a panel moderator is the one who brought up the cast fighting the Justice League, before Sebastian Stan hilariously responded with “Who is that?” And, you can see the absolute doneness on Chris Evans' face when he was asked about Captain America: Civil War and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which opened two months apart in 2016. He initially answered with an “ugh,” likely because he was asked a lot about it during that press tour. 

I especially love Tom Holland’s funny impression of Batman, but there’s a lot to unpack here otherwise. It seems like during most instances, the conversation leads into the Marvel stars hyping up their co-stars, such as when Scarlett Johansson reminds everyone their side has The Hulk and Chris Hemsworth, while Anthony Mackie says they have Chris Evans. One time Hemsworth also said that he was all good with the two studios working together on a movie, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying the Avengers would probably win if they were pitted against DC characters on the big screen. 

Seeing Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan try to set up a time and place for Marvel and DC to duke it out somehow is a fun, too. However, the absolute best one has to be the late Stan Lee doing an impression of how Superman flies. All and all, we expect the two comic book publishers to be pitted against each other one way or another for a long time, because they are both the best at what they do! 

As far as movies go, Marvel most definitely has a leg up thus far, especially as Aquaman 2 reviews have not been favorable for the DCEU. However, Disney's superhero brand did notch its weakest performance during an opening weekend to date when The Marvels opened in November. 

All in all, while moments like the ones in the video above happen, there doesn't seem to be any bad blood between the two comic book companies. The fans of both entities may have their disagreements, but the stars and corporations themselves seem to really be on good terms (even if they poke fun at each other here and there). 

MCU fans can look forward to Deadpool 3 next year, DC movies will be taking a break next year as the franchise gets a “reset.” Regardless of where your allegiances lie, you can see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in theaters right now alongside other entries on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.

While there have been a great number of Hollywood stars that never made it to 40, there are just as many, if not more, famous actors and entertainers that lived longer than 90 years. In fact, several eclipsed the century mark before crossing over into the great unknown. These titans of the movie industry, actors and directors behind Best Picture winners, and staples of the small screen all have one thing in common, besides being beloved by millions, their longevity.

Here are 32 Hollywood stars that lived to be more than 90. 

Sean Connery

Sean Connery, the iconic actor best known for playing James Bond in several of the best 007 movies, lived to the age of 90 years, two months, and six days before passing away on Halloween in 2020. Upon his death, the BBC said he left behind a tremendous body of work and a vacancy for the title of “Greatest Living Scot.”

Betty White 

Trailblazing comedian and cherished American treasure Betty White passed away on December 31, 2021, just a few weeks before the Golden Girls star and recurring guest on The Carol Burnett Show would have turned 100, per CNN. In her 99 years on the Earth, White lived life to the fullest to say the very least.

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner, one of the most well-known and successful names in all of show business, lived to the age of 98 before dying in June 2020, leaving behind a massive body of work stretching decades, according to the New York Times. From creating shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show to a long-lasting partnership with Mel Brooks to stealing scenes in the Ocean’s movies, he had quite a legacy.

Cicely Tyson 

Cicely Tyson, the dynamic actress that won a Tony, multiple Emmys, an honorary Oscar, and dozens of other accolades, was 96 years old when she died in January 2021, according to the New York Times. Over the course of a seven-decade career, Tyson gave commanding performances in film, television, and on Broadway.

Tony Bennett

Though known mostly for his decades-long music career that saw him earn countless awards, honors, and other accolades, Tony Benett made several film and TV appearances throughout his life. Sadly, the legendary crooner passed away at the age of 98 in July 2023, per the New York Times.

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas, the star of classics like Paths of Glory, The Bad and the Beautiful, and most famously, Spartacus, passed away in February 2020, per the New York Times. The Hollywood star lived to the age of 103. 

Mickey Rooney

One of the brilliant Hollywood stars lost in 2014, Mickey Rooney was 93 years old at the time of his death, which marked the end to one of the most prolific and tumultuous careers in all of show business, according to the New York Times. Throughout his 88-year career, Rooney appeared in more than 300 movies and reinvented himself time and time again.

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn, who won a record four Academy Awards throughout her career, and was 96 years old at the time of her death in June 2003. At that time, the Washington Post described her as an actress of breathtaking talent and unsurpassed durability. 

Sidney Poitier 

Trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier, who became the first Black performer to win an Oscar for Best Actor, lived to the age of 94 years old before passing away in June 2022, per the New York Times. Throughout his career, Poitier appeared in films like Lillies of the Field, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and In the Heat of the Night to name only a few. Several of Poitier’s best movies could also be considered touchstones of American cinema.

Bob Hope

After spending decades entertaining millions upon millions with his various Broadway, radio, television, and movies, not to mention his tireless efforts bringing laughter to troops stationed around the world, Bob Hope passed away in July 2003. According to the Los Angeles Times, the later entertainer was 100 years old at the time of his passing.

Gloria Stuart

Gloria Stuart, the older Rose from James Cameron’s 1997 romantic epic, Titanic, passed away in July 2010. According to the Los Angeles Times, the veteran actress died just two days after her 100th birthday.

Zsa Zsa Gabor 

Hollywood legend Zsa Zsa Gabor, known for her work in For the First Time, Moulin Rouge, Lovely to Look At, We’re Not Married, and dozens upon dozens of other projects, passed away in December 2016. According to Variety, the actress, who dazzled on the silver screen for 60 years, was 99 years old at the time of her death.

Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury, best known for starring roles in Beauty and the Beast and Murder, She Wrote among others, was 96 years old at the time of her death in October 2022, according to the Guardian. Following her death, Lansbury’s legacy and influence was remembered by multiple celebrities, including Hugh Jackman, Josh Gad, and Judd Apatow.

George Burns 

After 93 years in show business, George Burns lived to be 100 before he passed away in March 1999. In his obituary published by the New York Times, Burns was described as a cigar-smoking comedian considered to be the best “straight man” in the world of comedy. Over the course of his decades-spanning career, Burns performed on TV, in sold out clubs and theaters, and pretty much anywhere else where audiences would watch his trademark routines.

Bob Barker 

Bob Barker, the longtime host of The Price is Right, Happy Gilmore star, and advocate for spaying and neutering your pets, lived to be 99 years old before he passed away in August 2023, per TMZ. The TV and Hollywood icon was just four months shy of his 100th birthday at the time of his death, a passing that was met with an emotional response from his fans. Dozens of celebrities took to social media in the wake of his passing to share stories about working with the iconic figure, including Adam Sandler with whom he had a funny ongoing feud.

Ed Asner 

Ed Asner, who starred on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Roots, as well as movies like Up and Elf, was 91 at the time of his passing in August 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter. The late actor left behind a massive body of work and lasting legacy we’ll feel for years, if not decades, to come.

Doris Day

American actress and singer Doris Day passed away in May 2019 just weeks after her 97th birthday, per the New York Times. The star of Alfred Hitchcock thrillers (The Man Who Knew Too Much), all-time great romantic comedies (Pillow Talk), and her own sitcom (The Doris Day Show), Day was one of the most talented and prolific Hollywood stars of her time.

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder, one of the most iconic and impactful directors in the history of Hollywood, lived to the age of 95 before passing away in March 2002, according to CNN. Known for movies like Some Like It Hot, Double Indemnity, Sabrina, and most famously, Sunset Boulevard, the late filmmaker gave moviegoers some of the most unforgettable moments throughout his career.

Harry Dean Stanton

Harry Dean Stanton, one of the greatest character actors of all time, passed away in September 2017, according to the New York Times. He was 91 years old at the time of his passing. Stanton, whose work ranged from Alien to Paris, Texas, and dozens upon dozens of other great films, was one of a kind.

Ennio Morricone

After spending decades crafting some of the most well-known film scores in the history of Hollywood, composer Ennio Morricone passed away at the age of 91 in July 2020, per the New York Times. Throughout his unparalleled career, Morricone created unforgettable moments in everything from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and so much in between.

Joan Fontaine

Joan Fontaine, who appeared in classics like Rebecca and Suspicion and so much more, passed away in December 2013. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she was 96 at the time of her death.

Harry Morgan

Best known for his portrayal of Col. Sherman T. Potter on the long-running sitcom M*A*S*H, Emmy Award-winning actor Harry Morgan lived to be 96 years of age before he passed away in December 2011, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Christopher Plummer

Following a decades-spanning career that saw him take major roles in The Sound of Music, Beginners, and Knives Out, passed away in February 2021. According to Variety, the multi-talented actor and Oscar winner was 91 years old at the time of his death.

Jerry Lewis

A comedian that was great in dramatic roles, Jerry Lewis lived to be 91 years old before his death in August 2021, according to Variety. Throughout his career, Lewis appeared in everything from The Nutty Professor to The King of Comedy, and so much more.

Phyllis Diller

After spending most of her life serving as one of the funniest, sassiest, and most prolific comedians in show business, Phyllis Diller passed away in August 2012. In her obituary published by the New York Times, Phyllis was credited with inspiring two generations of female comedians by breaking through doors, ceilings, and just about everything else to make her voice heard. She was 95 years old at the time of her passing.

Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook, who spent decades perfecting his craft in film, television, and his long-running one-man stage show about Mark Twain, lived to the age of 95, before passing away in February 2021, according to the New York Times. Throughout his career, he appeared in movies like All the President’s Men, Into the Wild, and Lincoln, to name just a few.

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine lived to be 95 years of age, until his death in July 2012, per The Hollywood Reporter. The legendary actor appeared in countless film and television projects throughout his career and even won an Oscar for his performance in Delbert Mann’s 1955 romantic drama, Marty.

Maureen O'Hara

After spending a career dazzling audiences in movies like Miracle on 34th Street, How Green Was My Valley, and The Foxes of Harrow, Maureen O’Hara passed away in October 2014 when she was 95, according to USA Today.

Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller passed away in May 2020 -- the beloved comedian, Seinfeld star, and father of actor Ben Stiller was 92. Over the course of his legendary career in show business, Stiller found success with his wife, Anne Meara, appeared in movies like Hairspray and The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three, and did so much more, as covered in his New York Times obituary.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee, the man behind some of the most recognized and influential Marvel Comics characters, as well as a great cameo actor in several of the best Marvel movies, lived to be 95 years old before passing away in November 2018. Described by the New York Times as a man who revolutionized the comic book world, Lee’s impact continues to be felt today.

Joss Ackland 

Joss Ackland, who appeared in more than 100 movies and TV shows ranging from Lethal Weapon 2 to White Mischief, passed away in November 2023. According to the BBC, the legendary and prolific actor was 95 years old at the time of his death.

Hugh Hefner

Though he wasn’t an actor or director, Hugh Hefner was just as much a part of the Hollywood scene as anyone else throughout the second half of the 20th century and beyond, thanks to his groundbreaking Playboy publication. The party came to an end for the media trailblazer in September 2019 when he passed away at the age of 91. According to the New York Times, Hefner died at his longtime home, the Playboy Mansion.

While we are sad that some of these beloved Hollywood stars have passed away, we can take solace in knowing they all lived long and fulfilling lives, each having an incredible impact on the entertainment industry and culture as a whole. Five, ten, and even fifty years from now, it's hard to imagine a Hollywood, or world, where these icons aren't just as impactful as they are today.

It has been over four years since the death of legendary Marvel icon Stan Lee, yet his lasting influence remains and will continue for generations. He became lots of people's favorite living, breathing movie easter egg through his numerous MCU cameos, and, for a time, he was the face of Marvel. Recently, Disney released a documentary honoring Lee's extraordinary life and contributions to the comic book industry. However, the documentary has sparked controversy with comic book icon Jack Kirby's son, as he expressed dissatisfaction with its release on Disney+. 

In a social media post, Neal Kirby openly criticized the House of Mouse and questioned the late writer's involvement. He shared his skeptical views on the documentary through his daughter Jillian Kirby's Twitter account. In the post, he raised doubts about Stan Lee's role in creating numerous Marvel characters during the early-to-mid 1960s. He also pointed out that Lee's name is credited as a co-creator on every character, except for the Silver Surfer, which his father solely created. Kirby challenged whether it is reasonable to assume that Lee had a hand in the creation of every Marvel character, writing:

Kirby's son emphasized what he alleged is a widely known fact that Lee possessed a limited understanding of the mythologies and historical references incorporated into the creation of various Marvel characters. Neal further elaborated:

Neal Kirby specifically pointed out Lee's prominent claim as the creator of the Fantastic Four, with minimal acknowledgment of his father's involvement. He also asserted that the concept of the superfamily was initially developed by Jack Kirby for DC Comics in the "Challengers of the Unknown" series. The comic book artist's son further revealed that the character names, such as Ben Grimm (The Thing) and Sue Storm, were inspired by his father's real name, Benjamin, and his daughter, Susan, respectively. 

You can find Neal Kirby's complete denouncement in the embedded post below:

The dynamics between Stan Lee and his collaborators have been a subject of previous discussions. Author Danny Fingeroth encountered challenges when writing Lee's biography, particularly when portraying his relationships with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko in a balanced manner that considered all perspectives. Fingeroth acknowledged the inclination to present these individuals in absolutes, as is common in comic books, but he recognized the intricate complexities of reality. 

The documentary Stan Lee (available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription), directed by David Gelb, delves into Lee's journey from his upbringing as Stanley Leiber to his significant impact on the comic book industry and pop culture. Utilizing Lee's personal archive material and his own narration, Gelb captures the essence of his life. 

Kirby, another influential comic book writer, and artist, passed away at the age of 76 in 1994 and, like Lee, died due to heart failure. Kirby's contributions include the creation of iconic superheroes such as Black Panther, Captain America, the Celestials, and the X-Men, among others.

To see how the work of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee has been translated into a massive film franchise, you can watch the Marvel movies in order on Disney+. 

The following story is going to get into spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. So if you haven’t yet seen the movie, and want to go in as pure as possible, back out now and go read one of our other stories on the site. 

It was the first moment in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that I started to cry. Marvel legend Stan Lee appeared in the original film as a person working behind the counter of a costume shop. He’s the one who hands Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) his store-bought Spider-Man costume, reminding the young hero that it always fits, eventually. It’s a big part of the reason why Into the Spider-Verse ranks so high on our list of every Spider-Man movie, ranked. But it wasn’t just that shot. The animators working on that film all wanted to work Lee into the film, so they snuck the creator into countless scenes, including the moment when Miles says “Thanks, New York!” Pause it, and you can see Stan Lee walking over the hero. 

So, did Phil Lord and Chris Miller continue the tradition and work Stan Lee into the mesmerizing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? The short answer is no. But when Phil Lord and Chris Miller appeared on CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast to talk Across the Spider-Verse, Lord elaborated on why they decided to leave Stan Lee out of the movie, explaining:  

It goes without saying that the ideals worked into the character of Peter Parker and his alter ego, Spider-Man, have been resilient enough to sustain multiple interpretations in comics, movies, video games, TV shows and more. There’s a reason I wrote an entire book about Spider-Man’s Hollywood history. No other character can claim to have the impact on our culture that Spider-Man continues to have.

But even though Stan Lee enjoyed a decade of Marvel cameos in live-action MCU stories, the trend had to come to an end, and the reasoning behind leaving him out of the new movie makes so much sense. Here’s our full interview with Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the ReelBlend podcast. It’s a must listen:

We will continue to have so much coverage about the Spider-Verse world, including the scene from Into that had to be retconned ahead of the new movie, and those Spider-Ham jokes that had to be pulled from the final cut. 

2018 marked the 10th anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicking off its history as a box office juggernaut. With Jon Favreau’s Iron Man ushering in the era of Marvel movies in order, a star-studded photo was taken with a massive gathering of the MCU class established at that point. Five years later, as we draw closer to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 continuing that cinematic tradition, there seems to be some confusion as to whether or not the late, great Stan Lee was actually present on set or photoshopped into the image after the fact. 

At least, that confusion is what ensued during a game between CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell, writer/director James Gunn, and star (lord) Chris Pratt. As the three sat down during the press day for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy threequel, a challenge was thrown out to see if Gunn or Pratt could remember who sat closest to Stan Lee in that photo. That led to the following exchange, which asked the question we’re about to dig deeper into:

"James Gunn: I don’t remember Stan…
Chris Pratt: Was Stan Lee there?
Gunn: They might have [photoshopped him]. I don’t remember him being there.
Pratt: Oh, I remember him being there. Wow, you piece of shit. I don’t. I think they added him after. But it makes sense that they would add him, right next to [me.]"

It seems like a pretty big deal to question whether or not Lee was present for the 2018 Marvel Studios cast photo. Then again, James Gunn, Chris Pratt and the entire Guardians crew are coming off of completing a thrill ride of emotional and spectacle-driven closure. So a day on set from five years ago could be fuzzier than most would remember. 

It’s also valid to note that 2018 just happened to be the year of Stan Lee’s passing. With the photo being released in February, there's always a chance that Stan, who didn't pass until November, may not have been up to attending. There’s room for either side of the argument, but is there a way we can settle once and for all if Stan Lee was present for the Marvel Studios 10th anniversary cast photo?

Yes, in fact, there is. It’s all thanks to the video promoting the MCU event back in 2018, which went into the mythic gathering of the Marvel Studios family that united to take the picture in question. Take a gander at that clip in the video above, and the truth will be revealed.

As it turns out, Stan “The Man” Lee did show up in person to take the momentous photo promoting the then-current class of MCU heroes. If you navigate to the 00:35 marker of the video, you can see the comic book legend firmly seated, while Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow play to the camera. He also pops up in other angles of that class photo throughout that same video.

And just to be sure we have the record straight here, Chris Pratt can be confirmed as the closer Guardians of the Galaxy participant in question when looking at Lee’s placement in the photo. Though he’s not “right next” to Stan, as that title is technically taken by another of the Hollywood Chrises, Chris Evans of Captain America fame. 

Placement is a small feat when it comes to how Marvel Studios was able to gather that many people from its cinematic universe in one place, with Stan Lee on hand to really tie the room together. But it is becoming apparent that there might be a correlation between the intense schedule of a Marvel franchise like Guardians of the Galaxy and memory. After all, Gwyneth Paltrow kind of forgot her MCU experience, and she’d been with the franchise since day one. 

All of the slack in the world can be cut for James Gunn and Chris Pratt being put on the spot. Early responses to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have been quite positive, and the world will soon be able to chime in with their own thoughts after the movie’s debut this weekend. Memory's a tricky thing, especially on a victory lap such as this. But to make sure this doubt gets nipped in the bud, all you need to do is look at the evidence.

Speaking of memories, if you want to relive the entire road of the Guardians of the Galaxy saga before heading to the movies, you're in luck. Provided you have an active Disney+ subscription, you can experience every heartbreak, punchline and explosion that's happened so far. 

It has been just over four years since Marvel icon Stan Lee died, but his legacy lives on and will for generations. The characters that Lee helped to create at Marvel Comics propel stories on Disney+, fuel narratives in the comics, and populate all of the anticipated upcoming Marvel movies that will arrive during the studio’s Phases 5 and 6. December 28 was Stan Lee’s birthday, and in honor of his legacy, several Marvel legends past and present (and maybe future) shared warm messages… while Disney revealed plans for an upcoming documentary. 

The first Tweet was posted by the grandson of Jack Kirby, who collaborated with Stan Lee on numerous Marvel books. His Tweet shared a letter Lee sent to Kirby that no one has seen until now.

The next post came from James Gunn, a filmmaker who started to grow at Marvel, the House That Stan Lee Built, but has since shifted his focus to DC Comics. Still, Gunn has Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 coming in 2023, and had this to say about his friend.

And it’s hardly a Marvel birthday celebration without Kevin Smith weighing in. Smith cast Stan Lee as himself in the comedy Mallrats, leading to an incredible cameo that featured a wonderful scene with Jason Lee. Their collaboration led to a wonderful Mallrats reference in Captain Marvel, which left Smith a blubbering mess when he saw it in theaters. Anyway, here’s Smith’s birthday wish to Stan Lee:

The love for Stan Lee even extended outside of the Marvel realm, as Dwayne Johnson – a walking superhero and the one-time Black Adam – shouted out the man who kick started it all, Tweeting:

On the celebration of Stan Lee’s 100th birthday, Marvel Entertainment announced that a documentary will be coming to Disney+ this year. The trailer for the feature is posted below:

We’ll never forget Stan Lee, or the characters he gifted us over the years. And now we anticipate the documentary that will be arriving on the streaming service later this year.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movie was one of the film’s that created the comic book movie boom that we are experiencing today. It was the first cinematic outing for one of the most popular characters in the history of the medium. Spider-Man’s success and legacy cannot be understated, but Sam Raimi says that early on Stan Lee was very disappointed in what he saw.

One of the reasons that Spider-Man worked so well is that it came along at a point when digital effects had finally achieved a level of success that meant we could really see Spider-Man swinging through New York City in a way that would not have been possible earlier. However, Sam Raimi recently told Variety that the first time he showed a scene of Spider-Man flying to Stan Lee, the Marvel icon was unimpressed, though only because Lee didn’t realize the digital effects weren’t done yet. Raimi explains…

Because digital effects were still a pretty new thing in the early 2000s, you can't blame a layman like Stan Lee for not understanding that what he was looking at wasn’t complete. But one can only imagine that, as pre-viz, it didn’t look all that great. You can almost see Sam Raimi being so excited to show this to Stan Lee, the father of Spider-Man, and then becoming heartbroken and confused himself when he realized Stan Lee was heartbroken and confused. 

Stan Lee was probably very confused, thinking that it looked terrible and that his Spider-Man was not going to look the way the movie looked in his head. By the end of course, it may have looked even better than Stan Lee dreamed. It’s unclear what Lee thought of Spider-Man’s organic web fluid.

Spider-Man was, of course, a massive hit, which spawned a pair of sequels, and fans are now hoping for even more Spider-Man from Raimi. It ultimately led to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the return of Raimi’s own Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Raimi is now involved in the MCU himself, as the director of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse if Madness, which hits theaters May 6. 

We all love a good cameo by a celebrity appearing as themselves for a brief, but fun, little moment. However, what I have always found more amusing is when a famous person portrays themselves in a more prominent starring role from a movie, or in a TV guest appearance that serves as the main focus of that episode (or episodes), or even as the lead of the whole story. With Nicolas Cage playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we wanted to take a look at our picks for some more of the best performances by athletes, musicians, or actors who played themselves.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Movies)

Future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris was still best known as the star of Doogie Howser M.D. when he stole the show in the 2004 stoner comedy classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle as a highly dramatized version of himself. The Emmy nominee would reprise the role in two sequels that more heavily blend the actor’s reality with increasingly absurd fiction, including getting kicked out of Heaven by Jesus in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas after he was previously gunned down by prostitutes in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Cate Blanchett (Coffee And Cigarettes)

Every vignette in Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology of short films starring celebrities as themselves - is gold, but Cate Blanchett leads one of the more unique and thought-provoking of the bunch called “Cousins.” The segment is, additionally, one of the most profound testaments of the two-time Oscar winner’s chameleonic talent, as she makes it so easy to forget she is playing both herself and her brunette relative, Shelly, who struggle to relate to each other while catching up in a hotel lobby.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23)

In 2012, James Van Der Beek made his big return to TV as a series regular on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 in a role very close to his heart: James Van Der Beek. The actor brilliantly pokes fun at his post-leading the Dawson’s Creek cast career and predicts his future Dancing with the Stars stint as the famous best friend of Krysten Ritter’s Chloe - the title character of ABC’s short-lived, but much-acclaimed, comedy.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Most people would consider Bill Murray’s surprise appearance in Zombieland to be one of the greatest cameos of his career (and there are several incredible examples to choose from). However, with only four other characters in the main cast of the classic 2009 zombie comedy, I think we can justifiably count the Oscar nominee’s iconic, hilariously dead-pan portrayal as his post-apocalyptic self as a starring role despite lasting mere minutes. 

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

Another example of a relatively brief appearance that still earns the right to be called a starring role occurs in 2019’s Always Be My Maybe when Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to learn that his childhood friend (and crush), Sasha (Ali Wong) is dating none other than Keanu Reeves. The John Wick star pulls no punches in his partially improvised portrayal of a wonderfully absurd version of himself in the Netflix original rom-com, in which, during a restaurant double-date, he shows up wearing glasses with no lenses and asks the waiter for a dish that plays with “the concept of time.”

Heather Langenkamp (New Nightmare)

After playing Nancy Kerrigan in two Nightmare on Elm Street movies made her one of the top Scream Queens of the 1980s, Heather Langenkamp would give, arguably, her best performance in the franchise when she returned - not as Nancy, but as herself - in 1994’s New Nightmare. The cleverly meta thriller, in which the actress is taunted by a demon assuming the appearance of Freddy Krueger, also stars fellow horror icon Robert Englund as this new take on the iconic villain and himself as well as writer and director Wes Craven.

The Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)

The cinematic phenomenon of famous musicians offering a fictionalized peek into their lives off-stage (such as Nick Cave in 2014’s quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth or Foo Fighters in the horror-comedy Studio 666 more recently) arguably began with The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr exhibit solid comedic timing and profound athleticism while running from a swarm of screaming fans in 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night - the first of a number of dramatized films the Fab Four made together.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

Pro basketball star LeBron James has portrayed himself onscreen several times and most recently in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy - a sequel to the hit Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes collaboration from 1996. However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward received the most acclaim of his acting career so far for playing himself in Trainwreck - star and writer Amy Schumer’s 2015 rom-com which depicts him and Bill Hader’s “sports doctor to the stars” as best friends.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Before his heartbreaking death in 2018, Stan Lee perfected the art of the cameo by appearing in countless Marvel movies. One of his first and most prominent acting gigs (for which he was actually mentioned in the opening credits, too) was as himself in Kevin Smith’s 1995 Clerks follow-up, Mallrats. The comic book icon makes you a “true believer” in his acting ability when he shows up for a couple of scenes to give comic book-obsessed Brody (Jason Lee) some much-needed relationship advice. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It is no secret among die-hard Seinfeld fans that Jason Alexander’s deeply neurotic and troublesome character, George Costanza, was heavily inspired by the personality and life experiences of co-creator Larry David. On his follow-up to Seinfeld - the long-running, HBO original comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - David has earned several Emmy Award nominations for playing a version of himself who makes George look like a saint, burning bridges with Hollywood heavies and alienating friends and average bystanders at every turn.  

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Star and co-creator Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire Extras is chock full of amazing celebrity guest appearances, but Kate Winslet made a damn good case to be considered the funniest in the Emmy-winning comedy’s history. The British Titanic star is seen playing a nun on the set of a film about the Holocaust (which she admits she agreed to star in purely to win an Oscar, having not yet won for The Reader) before later proving herself to be a master in double entendres when offering fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), phone sex tips.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

It is a bit rare for an actor to appear in a movie as him or herself while also playing the title character, but 1999’s Being John Malkovich - from from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze - is also a rare kind of movie, and in many ways, too. The two-time Oscar nominee is understandably shocked and frightened by the discovery that a Manhattan puppeteer (John Cusack) has been using a magical portal to be able to take a walk in his shoes for 15 minutes at a time in this wildly creative comedy.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

Another rare example of an actor playing themselves in the titular role of a film is Bruce Campbell in My Name is Bruce, which is also the last film the B-movie icon directed himself. Campbell is hilarious in the 2007 horror-comedy as a boozy, washed-up version of himself who is forced to channel his iconic Evil Dead character, Ash Williams, in order to defeat a demon wreaking havoc on a small town in Oregon.

Oprah Winfrey (30 Rock)

Another example of a memorably, and often awkwardly, hilarious guest appearance on an acclaimed TV comedy is Oprah Winfrey on Season 3 of 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (star and creator Tina Fey) is delighted to find the larger-than-life media mogul seated next to her on an airplane and cannot help but seize the opportunity to received a dose of wisdom, but who could really blame her for that?

Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems)

As much as I agree that Adam Sandler deserved greater awards attention for his lead performance in the relentless 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, I think we should be more angry at the fact that former NBA player Kevin Garnett received no awards attention at all. I would go so far as to say I’m glad the Safdie Brothers did not get the athlete they originally wrote the part for (the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire) because Garnett is electrifying as himself (circa 2012), whose interest in a rare opal sets off a series of increasingly dire circumstances for the Sandler as self-destructive jeweler, Howard Ratner.

The This Is The End Cast

The whole point of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2013 directorial debut This is the End is to watch the entire cast (including Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and many, many more) as hilariously exaggerated versions of themselves who struggle to endure the Apocalypse and a merciless barrage of gags at their expense. Highlights also include an excruciatingly vain (and demonically possessed) Jonah Hill; a lewd, coke-snorting Michael Cera; an axe-wielding Emma Watson; and Channing Tatum employed by a cannibalistic Danny McBride as his sex slave.

You've got to love seeing a famous person let loose and introduce a different, completely fictional side of themselves to the world on screen. I cannot wait to see more examples of actors playing themselves in the future.

Three years after the passing of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, the world still feels the loss of his presence. The iconic co-creator of many superheroes, including the titular figure in the recent box office smash Spider-Man: No Way Home, Lee was a fixture in the MCU itself thanks to his regular and memorable cameos. On what would have been his 99th birthday, Marvel’s Mark Ruffalo posted a sweet tribute for the late icon’s birthday, throughout his social media presence. 

Spotted on Mark Ruffalo’s Twitter feed, the current Hulk actor’s fond remembrance of Stan Lee says it all. Taking the time to commemorate the day itself, his message honoring the contributions of “Stan The Man” was short, but sweet. Here’s what Ruffalo had to say in honor of Mr. Lee’s recent birthday milestone: 

With a personality that sparkled in his various appearances in the  Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee was larger than life like some of the figures he helped create. Most of those teams and characters have been brought back through cinematic origins and reboots in Kevin Feige’s MCU tenure, building the bedrock of the film juggernaut you see today. Though Lee’s influence will yet again be felt in the near future, as Jon Watts’ Fantastic Four, as well as the X-Men series, will soon be added to the MCU mythos.

Mark Ruffalo is certainly busy helping keep that particular torch lit himself, as his incarnation of Bruce Banner/The Hulk is about to make his streaming debut through the Tatiana Maslany-led She-Hulk series on Disney+. One of the many upcoming Ruffalo projects to keep your eyes peeled for, he’s been playing the role of the big green rage monster, and his human half, since 2012’s The Avengers. So luckily enough, Mr. Ruffalo entered the MCU at a time when Stan Lee was still active in participating in its genesis; which is probably part of why he’s shown such reverence to his memory.

As the man who helped keep the Marvel name relevant through thick and thin, Stan Lee left behind generations of fans and admirers after his passing. Mark Ruffalo’s kind words only say what each and every one of them have been thinking, especially in light of the record-breaking performance we’ve seen from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though he may not physically be present in the MCU, the spirit of Mr. Lee’s iconic personality will still live on. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home continues to save the day at a theater near you! Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo’s latest appearance in the MCU can be found in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' mid-credits scene, and the movie is currently streaming on Disney+. Last, but not least, She-Hulk does not have a set premiere date, but is also looking to debut on that same streaming platform at some point in 2022.

Marvel fans and creators lost the iconic Stan Lee back in 2018, but most of us are still getting used to not seeing him make a cameo in the latest Marvel Studios offerings. The legendary comic-book whiz has been integral to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his final on-screen cameo was as a driving hippie shouting “Make love, not war” in Avengers: Endgame. A cameo wasn’t possible for Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home, but eagle-eyed fans have been pointing out an Easter egg that makes a sweet reference to Lee, and it’s very appropriate. 

There’s no official screen grab of this moment yet, so the next time that you are heading to the theaters to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home, look at the license plate on the front of the taxi cab that is parked behind the MIT recruiter who Peter (Tom Holland) tracks down on the Doctor Octopus bridge. The plate reads 1228, and while Jon Watts usually puts references to comic book issues on the license plates in his movies (and there are some in No Way Home), this numerical combination actually calls out Stan Lee’s birthday, December 28. 

The Stan Lee cameos trace back to the earliest days of Marvel movies, even outside of the MCU. The Marvel Comics publisher rescued an innocent bystander from falling brick in Sam Raimi’s initial Spider-Man movie, released in 2002. Shortly before that, he played a hot dog vendor on the beach in 2000’s X-Men, establishing a trend that would carry him through decades of appearances. 

When Spider-Man transitioned over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Stan Lee followed. In the latter film, Lee was a neighbor shouting out his window at Spider-Man when the do-gooder triggered a car alarm.

But Jon Watts never tried to include a cameo in Spider-Man: Far From Home, as it was collectively decided to put an end to that practice following Lee’s passing, and making Avengers: Endgame the last movie to showcase him. So many fans keep taking to social media to lament the fact that Stan Lee didn’t get a chance to watch this amazing movie, which connects the past to the present and is a celebration of all things Spider-Man.

Lee couldn’t see Spider-Man: No Way Home, but millions of other audience members did. After two weekends in theaters, the blockbuster has earned more than $1 billion at the global box office, and that’s without the significant contributions that normally come from China (the movie hasn’t opened there, and might not). It will be fascinating to see where Spider-Man goes from here, but it’s very safe to say, audiences from around the world will follow.

At this very moment, The Walt Disney Company finds itself embroiled in a legal battle with Scarlett Johansson over the simultaneous theatrical/streaming release of Black Widow. Now, Marvel Entertainment, a subsidiary of Disney, is in a legal situation that involves the character, and it’s for a totally different reason. This past week, the company filed five lawsuits in an attempt to block the heirs of several comic book creators from laying claim to the copyrights of several of the comic book company’s biggest characters.

Termination notices were recently filed on behalf of Larry Lieber, the brother of the late Stan Lee and co-creator of Spider-Man, Thor and more, as well as the estates of Don Rico, who co-created Black Widow, Don Heck, co-creator of Iron Man and Black Widow, Gene Colan, who launched names like Captain Marvel and Blade, and finally, Steve Ditko, who co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. All parties are being represented by veteran attorney Marc Toberoff, per Variety.

Marc Toberoff asserts that because the characters in question have resulted in massive franchises, the heirs of the creators should be allowed to partake in the revenue they generate. In a statement to Variety, Toberoff argued that this case boils down to the rights of the artists:

This actually isn’t the first time Marc Toberoff has represented the estates of veteran comic book creators. He previously represented the heirs of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and those of comic book artist Jack Kirby, who helped create Marvel characters like Captain America and Thor. In the Kirby case, the federal court ruled in favor of Marvel, reasoning that the characters were made while the creators were engaged in work-for-hire arrangements.

Marvel is reportedly making that same argument here, and Daniel Petrocelli, one of the company’s lawyers, argues that these new cases present “virtually identical circumstances.” However, Marc Toberoff asserts that in the eyes of the law at that time, the comics were not made under work-for-hire contracts. It’s his belief that the comics creators were independent contractors who merely assigned their work to the publishers.

Marvel is not pursuing any damages in this legal situation but ultimately wants a declaration asserting that it holds the copyrights to the characters. Should the court rule against Marvel, the company would not lose the ability to use the aforementioned characters, but it would have to pay the heirs to do so. So franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe could theoretically still move forward.

Additional developments are likely to crop up with this latest legal situation. We’ll continue to keep you posted as updates arrive.

If you look at all of the best villains from your favorite superhero movies (from the MCU’s Loki to the DC movies’ various incarnations of The Joker), you could make a different argument for why each one stands out among the rest, but the one common element that links them all is the performer. One actor whom you could say is a true master at playing an antagonist is Bryan Cranston - who, over the course of 62 Breaking Bad episodes, convinced millions to root for a person as despicable as ruthless drug lord Walter White. The career-defining performance has me convinced that the Marvel movies should save a spot for the four-time Emmy winner to play their next big bad, and the man himself has expressed interest in such a role, even personally name dropping the first character on our list.

Mister Sinister

Back in 2015, when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was still in development, fans speculated that Warner Bros. might have tapped Bryan Cranston to play the Man of Steel’s arch enemy, Lex Luthor, before the announcement of Jesse Eisenberg’s casting put that rumor to bed. However, while speaking at the New York Comic Con’s SuperMansion panel that same year, the actor revealed there was a certain Marvel villain he was interested in playing.

Born Nathaniel Essex in 19th-Century London, Mister Sinister is an Alpha-Level mutant with abilities that range from shape-shifting to telepathic manipulation, making him an especially challenging adversary to the X-Men. The potential for this extremely powerful (and even more evil) being to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe is better than ever with Marvel Studios’ X-Men movies reboot in the works. All Bryan Cranston needs is to perfect the British accent he developed for his character in Disney+’s The One and Only Ivan and his nightmare could come true.

Doctor Druid

If Bryan Cranston were to ever change his mind about being the bad guy in a Marvel movie, there is another great and more heroic character he could put that British accent to good use for. London-based Harvard psychology graduate Anthony Ludgate would legally change his name to Anthony Druid after discovering his ancestral connection to the Occult and, eventually, switched his expertise to sorcery.

Aside from the opportunity to use his British accent, the real reason I believe Bryan Cranston would be a great fit for Doctor Druid is that he uses his powers to hunt and defeat otherworldly beasts as part of a team known as the Monster Hunters. In 2014’s Godzilla, hunting monsters was, essentially the goal that his ill-fated character, Joe Brody, never really got to achieve in the MonsterVerse, but he could in the MCU. Plus, Doctor Druid and Doctor Strange starred in a 2020 crossover comic, and if we should ever see Cranston collaborate with Benedict Cumberbatch, this would be a perfect way to do it.

Green Goblin

Despite all the reasons why Bryan Cranston would make a fantastic Doctor Druid, I am still holding out hope for him to play a Marvel villain, especially with the incredible potential he could bring one of the comics’ most celebrated antagonists. For years, people have been hoping to see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker take on the Green Goblin - arguably, his arch enemy - in future Spider-Man movies and, if the rumors about Christopher McDonald’s Secret Invasion role prove false, Bryan Cranston would be my Number One choice. Why?

Green Goblin is the alter ego of wealthy industrialist (and father of Peter Parker’s friend, Harry) Norman Osborn, whose key characteristic is a split personality that causes him to switch from a more mild mannered disposition to one of a sadistic psychopath in an instant. While it took Walter White a little longer to make the switch from meek family man to deadly criminal on Breaking Bad, clearly Bryan Cranston knows how to play both types. Even Willem Dafoe would gladly accept if his John Carter co-star dethroned him.

Galactus

One performance by Bryan Cranston that I found to be underrated was in the Power Rangers reboot from 2017. He plays Zordon, the disembodied, extraterrestrial mentor to the team of young, earthly warriors in a portrayal from an otherwise poorly received film that I would argue he nailed by his voice alone. If only the actor could be given a second chance to channel his smooth, imposing baritone into another larger than life character.

Look no further than Galactus, who stands above most beings in the Marvel Multiverse in terms of size, power, and appetite (planets happen to be one of his favorite snacks). Rumor has it that the former astronaut transformed into a cosmic god could follow in Thanos’ footsteps as the next “big bad” and could be introduced in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot (hopefully to correct his unnecessary depiction as a living cloud from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2007). Just listen to Bryan Cranston’s voice, and it coming from Galactus and I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better fit.

Stan Lee

However, there is one person who has even more power over the Marvel Universe… or, at least, he did. On November 12, 2018, millions mourned the death of legendary writer and editor Stan Lee at 95, leaving behind a legacy that still lasts through the enduring characters he helped create and hilarious superhero movie cameos that became a long-honored tradition. Another great addition to his legacy could be a film that tells his own story, and I think I have the perfect casting choice.

In 2016, EntertainMe Weakly’s Tumblr shared a poster of Bryan Cranston’s thriller The Infiltrator edited to look like a Stan Lee biopic starring the actor in the title role. The resemblance was striking, convincing fans everywhere that Cranston should be the one to fill the icon’s shoes in a tribute film - which Cranston himself showed interest in following Lee’s death. If there is one Marvel character we could call the best, it might be Lee after all, and what an honor it would be for Cranston to bring him back to life on the big screen.

What do you think? Should Bryan Cranston skip the MCU altogether and go for a biopic about the man behind the characters, or do you still want to see him in an adaptation, but as someone else?

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With an amazing 32 seasons under its belt, The Simpsons has been not only a pop culture staple on its own for several decades, but a way for those behind the classic animated series to examine a lot of things seen in the real world, including other major pop culture touchstones. The show recently used the lore of Star Wars to create the short The Force Awakens from Its Nap, and while another recently released short, The Good, The Bart, and The Loki takes on the God of Mischief and all things Marvel, it turns out that there was one cameo they weren't allowed to use.

The new parody The Simpsons: The Good, The Bart, and The Loki, sees Loki banished to Springfield for one of his many misdeeds, where he accidentally transports Lisa to Asgard, and the put-upon middle child ends up being granted with Thor's powers. The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean, who's been working with the series for nearly its entire run in one capacity or another, recently spoke about the new short with Comicbook. During the chat, he revealed that with all of the hundreds of characters available in Marvel Comics, and the dozens who've populated the MCU, there was only one cameo they weren't allowed, and said:

Marvel's Stan Lee, of course, famously appeared in all of the property's films, animated shows, and several of the live action series before his death in November 2018 at the age of 95. But, he also popped up (whether as himself or not) now and then in non-Marvel movies or shows, such as The Big Bang Theory, Heroes, Yoga Hosers, Fresh Off the Boat, and The Simpsons.

In fact, Lee voiced himself on the animated series three times, and the show had unused audio left over which could have easily been worked into The Good, The Bart, and The Loki. Al Jean made it clear that he wasn't interested in joking around with Lee's cartoon representation, and noted that he and his team only wanted to pay tribute to him and his dozens of MCU appearances.

Unfortunately, it was not to be, with Marvel having a strict policy about any unused footage or audio of Stan Lee not being used to construct cameos now that's he's passed away, even in animation. Thankfully, it wasn't too big of a bummer for Al Jean and the folks working on The Simpsons crossover short, as Jean said he could readily admit that it's "a completely understandable policy."

The Simpsons: The Good, The Bart, and The Loki is available to stream right now on Disney+, along with Loki, and 31 seasons of The Simpsons, but if you need more to watch, check out our 2021 summer TV schedule!

One of the most endearing parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the random and reoccurring cameos by Marvel comics legend Stan Lee in every Marvel movie before his passing in November 2018. The beloved comics creator also made memorable appearances in the first two Guardians Of The Galaxy films. Now, director James Gunn has clarified a misconception of Lee’s cameo in the first Guardians movie.

Recently, a fan reached out to James Gunn on Twitter, sharing a caption that claimed Stan Lee's original Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 appearance was cut by "Disney" executives. Gunn then replied to the fan, setting the record straight:

James Gunn, who has made tributes to the memory of Stan Lee, provided an honest answer to the fan who asked to see a photo of the initially planned cameo, which involved Stan Lee being one of The Collector's trophies that the Guardians encounter in the first film. Lee was originally supposed to be seen giving the middle finger to Groot as well, but the director scrapped the scene, thinking it added too much to an already packed sequence.

James Gunn goes the extra mile and sets the record straight on the exact nature of the change in question. The information Gunn replies to on Twitter basically implies that Disney forced the filmmaker to change the scene because they didn’t find it appropriate. Though it would appear that Disney actually had no problem with the scene and that Gunn was merely being conscious of what would work better in that moment.

James Gunn ends his clarification by acknowledging the anti-Disney wording the trivia fact implied, asking why Disney is in quotation marks. Gunn is assuring fans who may be concerned with the creative control of their favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe entry that it's not that deep. As a matter of fact, there's clear evidence in the film itself to show that such a scene wouldn't have been a problem. Peter Quill does flip off the members of the Nova Corps. early in the film after all.

Marvel continues to honor Stan Lee with memorials and easter eggs, but his cameos will continue to be unique to him and only him. His cameos will continue to be a special part of the beginnings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and, going forward, hints and easter eggs in his memory will be a fun thing for Marvel fans to parse over in new installments in the franchise.

With Guardians 3 hopefully on the horizon and the new and improved The Suicide Squad breaking trailer records as of late, James Gunn is continuing to make his mark on the comic book movie world. Shout out to him for taking the time to clear the air about a key fact regarding his 2014 film. The transparency is much appreciated.

You can check out both of James Gunns' Guardians of the Galaxy film by streaming them on Disney+.

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD for Episode 7 of WandaVision Season 1, fittingly called "Breaking the Fourth Wall."

WandaVision is getting closer and closer to the present when it comes to the sitcoms it's copying, with "Breaking the Fourth Wall" featuring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff more or less playing Julie Bowen playing Modern Family's Claire Dunphy. There was a lot going on in this episode, to the point that fans might have easily overlooked some small Easter eggs. When characters are directly addressing the camera, manifesting superpowers, and/or revealing themselves to be a villain all along, tiny details can slip through, which may be the case when it comes to a Stan Lee reference in the opening credits.

The Marvel legend was known for making cameos through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with Iron Man back in 2008 all the way through to Avengers: Endgame in 2019, which actually premiered after Lee passed away in 2018. He even turned up on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter on ABC. While Lee's death means that he won't be appearing in any more MCU projects, WandaVIsion found a subtle way to reference the Marvel legend in the opening credits of Wanda's sitcom of the week. The credits were just shots of various items, including a VHS tape, a cake, a street sign, and — most importantly — a license plate with a particular set of numbers on it. Take a look!

That's not just a random string of numbers on the WANDA license plate, and not just because it seems that nothing is really random on WandaVision even if the explanation turns out to be wild. "122822" can be broken down to "12/28/22," or December 28, 1922. Those numbers reference back to Stan Lee's birthday. The Marvel Comics writer and editor was 95 years old at the time of his death in 2018. Members of the Marvel family have taken the time to remember him since he passed away, and now WandaVision honored Lee with an Easter egg.

The license plate nod to Stan Lee was a great way to reference the man without whom the modern MCU wouldn't exist, in my book. It wasn't distracting from WandaVision at a point in the season when fans really have to focus, and it wasn't disrespectful to Lee. For eagle-eyed fans on their first watch, it had to come as a great surprise. For those who didn't catch it right away, it's a fun discovery after it already seemed like the episode had to be out of shockers. Considering the cliffhanger reveal that Agnes is none other than Agatha Harkness, and Agatha has done something to the twins, I think anything that helps pass the time until next Friday will be welcome to most MCU fans!

Easter eggs like Stan Lee's birthday on a license plate are also likely to be the only kinds of references to the Marvel legend that viewers can expect. Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production Victoria Alonso said back in 2019 that Stan Lee is not replaceable, and there will be no more Stan Lee cameos. Still, fans can always hope for more nods, and the upcoming WandaVision finale doesn't mean that the MCU will run out of content again.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres in March to follow WandaVision, with Loki then coming after Falcon and the Winter Soldier in May. The future is bright for the MCU, even if that future is likely to primarily remain on the small screen for the foreseeable future. For some MCU action, be sure to check out WandaVision as well as other Marvel offerings streaming now on Disney+.

Movies have always reflected the society we live in, a history we’re trying to grapple with or a future we’re afraid of. And while Marvel and DC movies are often looked at as escapism from our realities and flawed systems, if you look closely many of them are actually solid reflections of elements of reality. One of the most piercing examples has always been through the X-Men comics, which the late Stan Lee and Jack Kirby debuted in 1963. The first issue was released at the height of the Civil Rights Movement that September not long after the March on Washington happened in Washington D.C. and Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famed “I Have A Dream” speech.

For over fifty years the X-Men comics and movies have connected fans over its overt commentary about the division of two people, the Mutants and everyone else. As one X-Men writer Chris Claremont said back in 1982:

So let’s talk about this. Why was the popular series inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and what does that mean moving forward?

Stan Lee Conceived The X-Men As A Metaphor For The Civil Rights Movement

Back in the ‘60s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were on a role over at Marvel Comics co-creating their most iconic characters including Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and Doctor Strange. And among them the X-Men – Lee explained the conception of the team to The Guardian like this:

Lee has always had a knack for creating relevant and timeless superheroes – hence their place in the modern mythology so many of us flock to in our free time. He lived through the years of the social justice movement, where Black Americans pushed for equal rights during a divisive and especially racist time in the U.S. It makes sense that the social justice movements would influence the comic book legend’s ideas at the time, and since its inception, the X-Men have been continued to be compared to this moment in history in more ways than one.

Professor X And Magneto Have Been Compared To MLK and Malcolm X

Looking more closely at X-Men’s connection to the Civil Rights Movement, many have made a distinct connection between the franchise’s central characters Professor X and Magneto. The mutants are often opposing forces, stemming from their differing ideologies about how to survive in a world that is cruel to their kind. Professor X takes the path of educating mutants to control their powers and hopes to live in a world where humans and mutants can co-exist peacefully. For years, audiences have compared Charles Xavier to Martin Luther King Jr, in terms of their approaches to advocating for equality.

It gets more complicated when we get to the Magneto / Malcolm X comparisons, because from a rigid context of good vs. evil that comic books play into, that would mean that people are saying Malcolm X’s philosophy was more inherently bad or diametrically opposed to MLK’s, and that is not completely true. Yes, Malcolm X famously gave his “By Any Means Necessary” speech in 1964, calling for the complete “independence of people of African descent” in the U.S. He was opposed to assimilation, in terms of Black people denying their identities in order to co-exist with white Americans. This aspect of Malcolm X can be compared to Magneto, who felt mutants should be able to live freely as they are and not hide who they are. The X-Men character also threw away his “human” name for Magneto, similarly Malcolm X took his famous “X” last name to reject his slave roots.

The Problem With X-Men’s Ties To The Civil Rights Movement Today

But there's an inherent issue the X-Men franchise has by being a “commentary” or metaphor to the Civil Rights Movement. Just about every main character within the mutant universe with a key role in the franchise had and is known and has been a white character. To replace an experience that is inherently tied to racism, bigotry and prejudice to predominantly white, straight characters is white erasure. It’s important for us to respectfully recognize this aspect of X-Men’s roots today when talking about its commonalities and inherent ties to the Civil Rights Movement. As Medium put it:

It’s an important discussion to have today as Marvel seeks to adapt the mutants for the MCU sometime in the near future. While the original movie franchise was focused on the diametrically opposed ideals between Professor X, Magneto and the mutant war coming to the forefront, it might be more effective for the next X-Men adaptation by moving away from basically rewriting Civil Rights history with mutant history and instead recognizing and making distinctions between the two. X-Men is a product of the ‘60s and linked to the Civil Rights Movement, but it is not really fair to call it a good nor helpful commentary on the era, and there has to be room for this topic to be treated more kindly and carefully in the future.

Marvel Studios has certainly made some advancements toward representation in the past few years, and can do some incredible things with the property whenever it gets to it. It will be interesting to see how the mutants fit into the MCU when it happens. It’s going to be one epic crossover event!

If you're a cinephile, one of the best aspects of social media is the ability to correspond with the filmmakers and actors who make the things you love. In this respect, writer/director James Gunn is definitely a fantastic follow, as he regularly makes time in his schedule to answer questions put forward by fans – and this week in particular he has been sharing some wonderful gems about his experience making the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and details of his personal technique.

For example, did you know that one thing that Chris Pratt and Laura Dern share in common is the propensity to say "pew pew" when firing laser guns? We learned that funny fact about the latter back in 2017 in the run-up to Rian Johnson's fantastic Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and on Sunday James Gunn shared that it's one of his favorite things about the actor best known to fans as Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord:

This wasn't the only case of James Gunn sharing love for his Guardians of the Galaxy cast, however. In a case of the writer/director answering a question not directly addressed to him, Gunn responded to an open question by Chance The Rapper about the awesome acting talent of Dave Bautista – and when I say "responded" I mean that he wrote a full thread of five Tweets sharing his love for the actor who brings Drax The Destroyer to life. You can scope out the first of the messages below:

Keeping the compliments flowing, James Gunn also threw some fun praise to the general Marvel fanbase for helping to inspire one of the best moments in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Repeating a bit of trivia he's shared before. the filmmaker admitted that the idea for making Stan Lee an agent for the Watchers was a detail he took from chatter on Twitter:

In addition to all that Marvel trivia, one of James Gunn's best Tweets had him addressing a fan's question about the filmmaking process – namely the creation of storyboards for the different shots he plans to get during production. Gunn is not exactly the best artist in the world, and apparently he gets a lot of flak for his doodles, but they help him get the job done:

James Gunn's next film, The Suicide Squad, will be released later on August 6 – simultaneously playing in theaters and on HBO Max. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in active development, and while it doesn't have a set date just yet, we do know that it's coming in 2023, and we will also be seeing the release of a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in late 2022. Stay tuned for news about all of those projects and more here on CinemaBlend.

It’s been just over two years since the legendary Stan Lee passed away, but the sting is still there from his loss. With every Marvel movie made after his passing that lacks his signature cameo, the wound gets opened a little more, with fans and stars alike missing the major creative vision behind the Marvel universe. Robert Downey Jr, who is Iron Man / Tony Stark, has shared a sweet throwback of himself with Stan Lee, to celebrate Lee's birthday this year.

Tony Stark - I mean, Robert Downey Jr., may be very into himself, but he is also a pretty sentimental guy. Among the photos of himself from the past and present, his Instagram is also full of photos of the people he loves and the good times they have shared. Most recently, Downey shared a throwback photo on his Instagram of himself with Stan Lee on the late legend’s birthday as a tribute:

Robert Downey Jr’s caption on the photo of “Are you Tony Stank?” refers to one of Stan Lee’s MCU cameos. In Captain America: Civil War, Lee is seen delivering a package to Tony Stark and hilariously gets his name wrong.

Robert Downey Jr. goes on to caption the shot further with “proof that Tony Stark has a heart,” which is engraved on the prop he is holding, the very first arc reactor that saves Tony Stark’s life, and brings Iron Man into existence. This is both clever and super sweet of Downey, as that first arc reactor has come into play at very sentimental moments for Tony Stark. Downey is tying himself in with Stark in a tribute to the man who created his other half, while saying just how much Lee meant to him.

It’s to be expected that Robert Downey Jr has a close bond with Stan Lee, as he is the avenger who has been with him the longest. He may not be the first avenger (that's Captain America's title), but Iron Man was the first movie to be released in the Marvel universe we know and love. That was back in 2008, giving Downey the role of Tony Stark for over ten years.

That’s over ten years of working with and portraying a character that Stan Lee had a major hand in creating himself. Robert Downey Jr’s life would look completely different if Stan Lee had not been in it, that is very much evident just by looking at Downey’s Instagram. It’s been a year since Iron Man met the big one, but he is still very much alive in Downey, with lots of Marvel love being scattered throughout his social media.

Robert Downey Jr. isn’t the only one who is keeping Stan Lee’s memory alive. Fans all over the world have a special place in their hearts for the legendary creative mind behind some of the biggest superhero characters. So, Stan Lee’s work will continue to live on and gather new fans.

For more Marvel updates, keep checking back with Cinemablend.

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Over the last decade and change of filmmaking, The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a behemoth force in the entertainment world. But a few properties have risen as fan favorites, including James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. The visionary filmmaker's pair of movies both included a cameo by Stan Lee, and now Gunn has posted a tribute to the late comic book icon on the second anniversary of his death.

Stan Lee is responsible for creating many of Marvel comics' most beloved characters like the X-Men and Spider-Man. Prior to his death in 2018, Lee was known for having a cameo in every single film adaptation from the comic studio, allowing countless directors to work with the late legend. James Gunn had this unique experience twice, and recently posted a sweet tribute to Lee on the second anniversary of his death. Check it out below.

What a class act. While Stan Lee might not have even remembered creating the character Groot back in 1960, we can't really blame him. After all, he was the mind behind countless iconic Marvel characters over the years. But regardless, it's clear that James Gunn loved working with him for his pair of Guardians of the Galaxy cameos. Unfortunately, the upcoming third movie will mark the first installment in the franchise without an appearance by the great Stan Lee. Sorry, true believers.

The above post comes to us from the personal Twitter account of James Gunn. The acclaimed filmmaker often uses social media to speak directly with moviegoers, especially related to his two upcoming comic book movies. While fans are eager to see what Gunn has in store for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, first he'll be focused on completing and releasing The Suicide Squad for DC.

Marvel fans can re-watch both Guardians of the Galaxy movies (complete with Stan Lee cameos) over on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

The image itself shows James Gunn working with Stan Lee during his came in the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Lee is rocking some awesome cosmic sunglasses, which were fitted for his costume in the blockbuster. Lee was shown early on in that movie's runtime, talking up a young woman on the ill-fated planet Xander. And that's only the first time the filmmaker had the privilege of directing Lee for his iconic Marvel property.

Stan Lee passed away in November of 2018, just weeks before his 96th birthday. The comic book visionary had a variety of health issues in his later life, including the insertion of a pacemaker and some bouts of pneumonia. His cause of death years ago was was cardiac arrest, as a result of congestive heart failure. And as a result, his final cameo in the MCU was in Avengers: Endgame.

At the time of his death, Stan Lee appeared in a whopping 22 cameos within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But his career on the big screen started prior to the MCU, with appearances in the X-Men movies and the previous two Spider-Man franchises. Plenty of filmmakers have expressed their joy over this, including James Gunn himself. And those myriad cameos are just the one way that Lee's legacy has been secured.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 7th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.

It goes without saying that Stan Lee was a special person, having helped birth a comic book universe in the ‘60s that the public still enjoys decades later. And when it came to Hollywood, the late writer and producer forged strong relationships with a number of actors. One of the stars Lee became close with is wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, and Johnson’s producing partner has revealed a very heartwarming moment shared between the two before Lee passed away.

Hiram Garcia, who has taken pictures of Dwayne Johnson for the past 20 years, has compiled those snapshots into a book entitled The Rock: Through the Lens, His Life, His Movies, His World. One of the images included in the book is one that features both Johnson and Stan Lee, and Garcia explained why that particular still represents one of his favorite stories:

Stan Lee was known for being an upbeat and supportive person, and it’s sweet to hear that he was rooting for Dwayne Johnson early in his career. Ultimately, Hiram Garcia’s comments to Variety only further cement what we’ve come to know about the late Marvel icon.

And Lee was certainly right about Johnson having a lot to offer Hollywood. Since entering the acting realm, Johnson has headlined box office hits like San Andreas, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Hobbs & Shaw. Combined, all of his films have managed to gross over $4 billion worldwide and over $10 billion worldwide, according to Business Insider. Needless to say, Johnson’s made quite a dent within the industry since making his big-screen debut in The Mummy Returns.

One can only imagine that Dwayne Johnson aspires to leave a legacy as impactful as Stan Lee’s. Even years after his death, Lee is still highly revered by his colleagues and many are still finding ways to pay tribute. Just recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been working to honor Stan Lee by ensuring that one of his final TV projects makes it to the screen.

While many of us still miss Stan Lee, fans can be comforted by memories they have of meeting him or their earliest memories of discovering his work. Memories like the one Dwayne Johnson has are incredibly precious, and anyone who has similar memories will likely hold on to them for the rest of their lives.

Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more news from the world of movies and TV.

Fan theories are the lifeblood of any active fandom, especially if that group of likeminded individuals happen to be fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And sometimes, those outrageous theories that say Stan Lee is secretly playing the same character through every MCU movie inspire some of the folks tasked with bringing that world to life. Just ask Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s James Gunn, as the writer/director of the 2017 sequel admitted that Lee’s big cameo conspiracy led him to include a very important cameo for the comics icon; possibly the coolest he ever had.

Interacting with fans through Twitter, James Gunn confirmed a cute fan theory pertaining to Baby Groot that was posed by one of his followers. When another fan jumped in to admire how fan canon simply became real canon, Gunn admitted that the scene where Stan Lee is regaling The Watchers with his tales of the MCU was inspired by a very similar experience:

A quick moment in the middle of the the perilous hyperspace travel we saw Rocket Raccoon, Yondu, and Kraglin engaging in during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we observed Stan Lee being rudely interrupted as he’s recounting every single cameo that he’s had since 2008’s Iron Man. At the point in the late comic book legend’s story, he’s gotten to the part where he played a FedEx driver in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War; which means that those impatient Watchers have roughly at least nine more stories to sit through until they get to his final appearance in Avengers: Endgame... give or take his appearances in non-MCU canon films like X-Men: Apocalypse.

It’s fitting that in the years between both entries of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, the theory of Stan Lee’s ability to jump through time and space without a day’s worth of aging went from fan favorite to actually canonized experience. If anything, this just goes to show that with the power of a unified fan theory, anything can be possible. That is, of course, if you have the right people listening in on the conversation at large. Oh, and if you’re curious about that other Guardians of the Galaxy fan theory that James Gunn had confirmed, you can read that for yourself below:

Should you also be experiencing a sudden and random urge to watch Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as it sequel, you may want to head over to Disney+. You can watch both installments on that particular platform, as well as any MCU film that doesn’t have the name Spider-Man or Hulk in the title. Who knows? The next fan theory to be confirmed by filmmakers like James Gunn could be yours.

Since the 2018 passing of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, his only daughter, J.C. (Joan Celia) Lee, has been involved in a number of court cases in an effort to reclaim her father’s intellectual property. In the latest decision by Judge Otis Wright II of the Central District of California, her suit against Stan Lee’s company, POW! Entertainment, has been tossed out. Now J.C. Lee has been sanctioned $1 million by the court.

Judge Wright ruled J.C. Lee’s suit was “completely unreasonable” since it was based off the contestation of a 1998 agreement between her father Stan Lee and POW! Entertainment that had been “debated” and “analyzed” in more than five federal district courts over a decade, per The Hollywood Reporter. At the conclusion of the order, Judge Wright said the following:

J.C. Lee certainly lost out big on her case and is now out $1 million due to the verdict, though she is ruling her legal counsel is “jointly and severally liable” for $250,000 in her sanction. A representative of the 70-year-old daughter of the Marvel icon, famous in his later years for his cameos, said this in a statement to Comicbook.com:

The suit was brought to the attention of the California courts back in September after a prior kerfuffle involving J.C. Lee alleging that Stan Lee’s former business manager, Keya Morgan, mishandled millions of Lee's dollars and embezzled his artwork. In May 2019, Morgan was charged with elder abuse as a result.

This time around, the court is not siding with J.C. Lee’s claims regarding the creator of Spider-Man and POW! Entertainment. The company’s president, Gill Champion, who co-founded POW! with Stan Lee back in 2001, was pleased with the ruling with these words:

Back in the ‘90s, Stan Lee had to file bankruptcy after illegal stock manipulation was discovered to be happening within his production/marketing company Stan Lee Media (Lee was not found at fault in these schemes). Later, Lee decided to co-found POW!, standing for Purveyors of Wonder, and reunited with Marvel during the time when films such as X-Men and Spider-Man started taking ahold of audiences. The initial agreement between Lee and POW has long been the subject of court debate.

Coming up next for POW! is a collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently announced he will be working on an animated series called Superhero Kindergarten to honor the comic icon’s legacy. The show is based on a prior conversation Lee and Arnold once had and will arrive on Amazon Prime in 2021.

Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news about what’s coming next with Marvel properties.

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee may be gone, but his memory certainly lives on through his creations, fans and Marvel itself. As we near two years since his passing, fans and celebrities alike are still finding ways to pay tribute to the late writer, and Arnold Schwarzenegger has now found the perfect way to preserve Lee’s legacy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is teaming up with Genius Brands International, the children’s media company, to produce and star in a new animated series entitled Superhero Kindergarten. According to Deadline, Schwarzenegger has become a “significant investor” in the company.

In a statement, Schwarzenegger expressed his excitement in getting to realize one of Stan Lee’s final projects and stressed that Superhero Kindergarten will be a cartoon that “not only entertains with superhero adventures, but also imparts valuable lessons about the importance of health, exercise, nutrition, anti-bullying, and diversity.”

Genius Brands is set to co-produce the show with the actors’ production company Oak productions, along with China’s Alibaba Group and Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment. The show has also tapped Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza as a writer.

Superhero Kindergarten was one of the final projects that Stan Lee developed, and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be voicing lead character Arnold Armstrong. In the show, Armstrong is a gym teacher who gained superhuman abilities and spent decades fighting crime as the hero Captain Courage. However, the hero was forced to give up his abilities in a fight with archnemesis Dr. Superior five years before the series picks up. But in the present day, Armstrong, now a kindergarten teacher, must jump back into action to train a group of children who have gained abilities of their own.

Believe it or not, the idea for the series came from a conversation that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee once had, during which the actor confided to Lee that he would’ve loved to have made a sequel to his hit comedy Kindergarten Cop. Lee, a fan of the film, took this to heart and pitched Superhero Kindergarten to Schwarzenegger, who liked the idea.

Most fans probably know of Stan Lee’s extensive animated work with Marvel Entertainment from back in the day but, in recent years, he created quite a few animated projects under his POW! Entertainment banner. This includes direct-to-video films like Mosaic, The Condor and Stan Lee’s Mighty 7.

While the two never actually worked together, both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee seemed to share a close bond, which was probably built from seeing each other at conventions and other events. It’s cool to see that Schwarzenegger is still moving forward with Superhero Kindergarten now that Lee is no longer with us. Not only will it give him a chance to somehow do the Kindergarten Cop follow-up he’s always wanted, but it’ll also allow him to continue the work of one of the world's most celebrated creative minds.

Superhero Kindergarten is slated to premiere on Amazon Prime in 2021.

Tom Holland had a major task ahead of him when he took on the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the actor has more than exceeded expectations. In the five years since he was cast as the iconic hero, he’s made a place for himself in the hearts of comic book fans and moviegoers alike. Despite this, he still had one critic to overcome – Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee. The late writer was ultimately pleased with Holland’s take on the character but, when the two first met, Lee couldn’t help but have some fun with him.

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn recently held a Q&A on Instagram, during which he revealed that he was actually the one who formally introduced Tom Holland and Stan Lee. And according to Gunn, Lee managed to land a friendly zinger on the newly cast actor:

If that’s not a Stan Lee introduction, I don’t know what is. One thing Lee was known for was his sharp wit, which stayed with him into his later years. So it’s not surprising that he would do a little gentle ribbing when meeting the newest actor to play his beloved wall-crawler.

Tom Holland, on the other hand, had to be feeling a mixture of emotions. Getting the role of Spider-Man and just getting started in a massive franchise must have been nerve-racking enough, but meeting one of his creators probably only added to it. Luckily, for him, Stan Lee seemed kind and, when you think about it, Lee’s joke probably served as a nice icebreaker for him. And as a result, he also has a nice story he can tell his grandkids one day.

Stan Lee was, of course, famous for his various cameos in different Marvel projects and, in recent years, that mostly pertained to the MCU films. While working on set, he formed close relationships with the casts and crews. Marvel directors like Anthony Russo and Peyton Reed praised him for his work on their sets.

When Lee passed away, he was widely mourned by the Marvel family, with many actors like Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. Even sometime after his death, some Marvel stars still take time to remember the man who helped shape the Marvel Universe.

Tom Holland and Stan Lee’s first encounter is a prime example of why Lee was who he was, and it’s also one of the many reasons that superhero fans miss him. It’s safe to say there will never be another Stan Lee, but fans can rest easy knowing that the continued popularity of his characters and memories like this one help to keep his legacy alive.

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Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe would draft the late Stan Lee as their go-to cameo wizard, the famed comic creator would cultivate an image for showing up where you’d least expect him with other major motion pictures. And one of the first was in writer/director Kevin Smith’s second film, Mallrats, in a cameo that only happened because Smith happened to know someone who was friends with Stan The Man himself.

As he held court during the Focus Features livestream of Mallrats earlier this week, Kevin Smith laid down the story of how Stan Lee eventually came to be in the film. This tale even comes with a surprise, as Smith wasn’t originally intending to shoot for the moon with this cameo:

If you ever need anything in show business, let this be a lesson to you that knowing a producer is usually the road to getting it. Jim Jacks would help set up the tracks that made Stan Lee a movie star, as Lee played himself giving romantic advice to the lovelorn/sex organ obsessed Brodie. This marked the comic book legend's first major speaking role.

The Mallrats scene is important for several reasons, as not only is this moment crucial to the plot of Brodie trying to turn himself around to win back the love of his life, then ex-girlfriend Rene (Shannon Doherty), but the scene helps nail what would ultimately be a perfect example of Kevin Smith’s trademark tone.

From the vaults of history, and an official YouTube embed, you can see this moment for yourself, below:

Perhaps it was fate that in the earlier moments of Mallrats’ commentary, a fan had asked why the film was plastered with the art from and inspired by Marvel characters, rather than the world of DC. The answer Kevin Smith gave was, quite simply, Marvel was more amenable to being referenced throughout Smith’s burgeoning View Askiewniverse. DC just wasn’t.

As the Batman franchise was still riding high with 1995’s Batman Forever, and Marvel Comics was selling off movie rights left and right to stay afloat at the time, there was probably a lot of royalties to be had in such an endeavor. Add it all together, and it feels like a perfect storm brought Kevin Smith and Stan Lee together, in a partnership that would eventually see the two work together again throughout their career paths.

It certainly helps that Stan Lee fulfilled the promise of his image even more in the eyes of Kevin Smith, and the rest of the world, in his Mallrats experience. As Smith continued to tell the story of working with this iconic four-panel talent, it sounds like things couldn’t have run smoother:

Always the romantic when it came to his wife, Joan, Lee’s cameo career would go on to rack up one very special appearance by the married couple, in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Eventually, even the MCU and Kevin Smith’s filmography would intertwine, as Mallrats would become an easter egg of its own through yet another Stan Lee cameo.

Reciting the words, “Trust me, True Believer” over and over again on a public bus in Captain Marvel, Stan Lee is seen to be holding a copy of the Mallrats script, practicing his pitch to Jason Lee’s Brodie on how he should get his act together and win the girl.

It would be a bittersweet moment when this cameo debuted, as it was the first of two posthumous debuts that would close out his tenure in the MCU he helped create. Kevin Smith’s Viewaskewniverse would feel the loss pretty heavily as well, as not only were the plans to have Stan Lee play a major part in the Mallrats sequel scuppered as a result, but the entire third act of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot also needed to be reworked.

But as most of his appearances in the Marvel Studios canon, it was a short but sweet happening that reminded the fans that he would always be a part of the pop culture juggernaut that took off, in part, because of his efforts.

Mallrats is currently available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD; while Captain Marvel and a ton of Stan Lee’s other cameos in the MCU are available on Disney+. Don’t have a subscription yet? Check out a 7-day free trial, and see what the fuss is about.

Over the years, Stan Lee became a constant, reassuring presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films (not to mention other comic book movies), showing up via hilarious cameos. This year’s Avengers: Endgame marked the final cameo appearance of the Marvel Comics icon, who passed away in November of 2018, and it seems that those cameos died with him. Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production Victoria Alonso has explained why no one else will get Stan Lee style cameos, saying:

You might think that Marvel Studios would try to recreate the magic of Stan Lee’s cameos using some other actor or icon in future MCU films, but that will not be the case. As Victoria Alonso told Adrian Rodriguez of Miami Latin News, she and Marvel Studios believe (correctly) that Stan Lee is not replaceable and it would be foolish to even attempt to replace him given his stature.

Victoria Alonso admits that there are phenomenally creative people like Kevin Feige out there who one might theoretically slot into the recurring MCU cameo role, but as talented as Kevin Feige is, Stan Lee is one of a kind. Therefore, Marvel Studios will not even consider having another person do recurring cameos in MCU movies the way Stan Lee did. To Victoria Alonso, it’s not even worth trying because it would inevitably fall short.

No one else will ever get Stan Lee style cameos in MCU movies. His passing marks the end of the practice and one of the hallmarks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to this point.

There are undoubtedly innumerable difficult decisions that go into creating an MCU film and running this franchise, but this has to be one of the easiest. Victoria Alonso and Marvel Studios is fully aware how much the fans loved Stan Lee. and that it would not accept anyone else taking over his cameo role.

It would be futile and ultimately unnecessary as the cameos were tributes to Stan Lee, but the MCU doesn’t require celebrity cameos for its films to be successful creatively or financially. And in reality, there isn’t an obvious replacement even if Marvel wanted to attempt it.

Names like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko may not have been the public face of Marvel Comics in the way Stan Lee was, but they were just as influential. Sadly, they have both passed away as well. Kevin Feige could do it, but it just wouldn’t be the same, and it doesn’t really seem like his style anyways.

While Stan Lee passing away at the age of 150 would have still been too soon, his death and the end of his cameos do line up nicely with this moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stan Lee’s final cameo was in Avengers: Endgame, the climactic chapter and second-to-last film in Phase 3 and the Infinity Saga. So it is fitting that Stan Lee’s passing marks the end of one chapter of this story before a new one begins.

Phase 4 begins with Black Widow, in theaters on May 1, 2020. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what movies you can look forward to next year.

It's almost hard to believe, but it's been a full calendar year since the world lost Stan Lee. The Marvel comics visionary has had a massive impact on pop culture for the past few decades, and affected generations of fans. His passing at the age of 95 was heartbreaking, especially as it was prior to the release of Avengers: Endgame. To honor Lee on the first anniversary of his death, Marvel Entertainment posted a beautiful tribute to the man behind so many stories.

Stan Lee is responsible for creating some of the most iconic characters to come out of Marvel Comics. That includes the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and the X-Men. Lee also appeared in a ton of Marvel adaptations, with various studios giving Lee cameos throughout the years. You can see how Marvel Entertainment honored the late writer below.

Well, that's gorgeous. Stan Lee is shown among his various creations, showing how limitless his imagination was. It's a great way to honor Lee on the first anniversary of his death, and as Marvel Studios continues to dominate pop culture.

This new image comes to us from the official Twitter account for Marvel Entertainment. It shows Stan Lee's likeness, surrounded by some of the most iconic characters from the comics. The Fantastic Four and X-Men are at the top of the image, alongside Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and The Wasp. As you go further down the art, those heroes are joined by more iconic Marvel heroes including Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, and Silver Surfer. Clearly Lee contributed to a ton of characters, each with their own unique backstory and abilities.

Stan Lee's death last year rocked the world of entertainment and comic books, and there were countless tributes and honors to the late comic book writer. Many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's biggest names took the time to thank Lee for his contributions, and for being so lovely to work with during his many onscreen cameos.

Avengers: Endgame marked Stan Lee's final cameo, as Spider-Man: Far From Home and Dark Phoenix didn't have any appearances by the late visionary. He ended up having appearing in a ton of Marvel adaptations throughout his life, on both the small and silver screen. His most memorable are the countless movie appearances, all of which made audiences chuckle. What's more, his appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 confirmed his MCU appearances were all the same person.

Related: Marvel Stars And Filmmakers React To Stan Lee's Death

Since his death, quite a bit has changed for his characters. Avengers: Endgame became the highest grossing movie of all time, and Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox will allow the X-Men and Fantastic Four to eventually appear in the MCU. What's more, a new deal for Spider-Man will allow Tom Holland's character to occupy both that universe, and Sony's Spider-Verse.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow (also created by Stan Lee) on May 1st, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look forward to the New Year.

Believe it or not, it has almost been one full year since we lost Stan Lee. The Marvel Comics icon died November 12, 2018. He missed so much in the past year -- three hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, including the highest-grossing movie of all time in Avengers: Endgame, which he never got to see.

Maybe it's a good thing Stan Lee missed the whole Disney/Marvel vs. Sony fight over Spider-Man. Or maybe he could've helped end it sooner.

Either way, he missed the action and we all miss him. In honor of the one year anniversary of his death, a biography is coming out on November 5. It's called A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee by Danny Fingeroth. It's not an "authorized" biography, but Fingeroth did have formal interviews with Stan Lee, whom he knew for 40 years.

The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision talked to Danny Fingeroth about the Stan Lee biography, asking if his impression of Lee changed while writing the book. Apparently the answer was yes:

Stan Lee first started in 1939 at what was called Timely Comics and would later evolve into Marvel Comics. Lee -- born Stanley Martin Lieber -- would go on to co-create several iconic Marvel heroes with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Lee and Kirby co-created the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men. Lee and Ditko co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.

Which is not to say everything was sunshine and roses in the partnerships. Author Danny Fingeroth said that was one of the hardest parts of writing the new book:

Jack Kirby died at age 76 in 1994. Steve Ditko died at age 90 in 2018. Stan Lee made it to 95 before passing last year. Stan Lee published a couple of his own memoirs -- including Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee in 2002 and Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir in 2015.

But since this is a biography and not officially "authorized," fans might get more of those shades of gray that Danny Fingeroth mentioned. No one is eager to read anything negative about Stan Lee, but I imagine there's a market for an objective look at his impressive career and his relationship with his colleagues.

Stan Lee's final MCU cameo appeared in Avengers: Endgame, in the time travel scene in the 1970s. It seemed to mark a fitting end to the legend's cameos, which were highlights of the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Stan Lee's 10 Best Marvel Cameos

What do you think? Will you check out this new book on Stan Lee? Keep up with the future of the MCU with our guide.

Comic book movies have become one of the most popular, and prolific, genres in film today. Much of the popularity of comic book movies stems from the first X-Men movie back in 2000. However, since that time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken over as the pinnacle of the comic book movie world.

Chris Claremont wrote the X-Men comic book for nearly 20 years and is responsible for many of the characters and stories that the films adapted, but the man himself believes that the X-Men movies were missing a lot. In a recent appearance at NYCC, Claremont praised the movies based on the characters created by Stan Lee, and lamented that his films weren't done quite as well.

There are certainly some great movies in the X-Men film franchise, but in the two decades worth of films, there are many more misses as there are hits. Most significant, Claremont was the writer for the "Dark Phoenix Saga" in the X-Men comics, a story that was used for the basis of two different X-Men movies, The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix, and both movies are generally viewed as a pair of the worst in the series.

There is a bright spot in the darkness, however. Chris Claremont is also responsible for "Days of Future Past" and while the film version of that took some significant liberties with the plot of the source material, the movie ended up being one of the most popular in the franchise.

The madness isn't quite over. Chris Claremont also launched The New Mutants comic book in 1982, and the movie of the same name has yet to be released, years after production wrapped. The film is currently slated for release in 2020, but there's already a general feeling that the movie isn't very good.

Of course, there, is still hope. With the purchase of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the rights to the characters are now with Marvel Studios and the opportunity now exists for them to be integrated into the existing, and quite successful, Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige hasn't confirmed anything beyond the fact that the mutants will show up at some point down the road, but Chris Claremont is hopeful, telling the NYCC crowd (via AiPT Comics on Twitter)...

Chris Claremont's comment likely echos a lot of fans right now. Regardless of whether you loved the previous X-Men films or not, there's a lot of anticipation for what Marvel Studios has in store for the characters.

It looks like we have a bit of time to wait. Marvel has seemingly laid out its complete plans for the next two years, and there are no X-Men to be seen. There's always the possibility that they'll pop up in some unexpected place, but hopefully, if Marvel really is taking its time, that will benefit the X-Men giving them the best possible start whenever they do arrive in the MCU.

It's Bill Maher all over again. Sigh. The other day, comedian Marc Maron -- who also has a role in DC's upcoming Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix -- was on Conan and shaded superhero movies as for "grown male nerd childs." There was more to what he said, I'll recap below, but fans were not happy. The backlash made its way to Maron on social media and he lashed out at the religious fervor of MCU fans.

Yeah, he's not backing down. His issue is not with comics, as he said, he's just not into mainstream superhero movies -- and the must-see hype of superhero movies like the highest-grossing movie of all time. Not that he's seen it.

During his Conan appearance, Marc Maron said he was proud to have not seen Avengers: Endgame. The topic came up when Conan O'Brien mentioned people thought he played the young Stan Lee in Endgame. Maron said he's never been in a Marvel movie and he had some issues with them.

Someone in the audience "ooohed" and Marc Maron directly lashed out at them -- saying because "you guys" are now "in charge of culture," he has to drive 15-20 minutes to a smaller theater to watch a movie for grown-ups. He wasn't kidding, but he also wasn't taking it too seriously. That was part of his point. He was mocking in a sarcastic way. He seemed to return to the issue in another Twitter post several hours after the one above:

OK, but what did he expect? He thought he could just say the most popular movies of all time were for "grown male nerd childs" and everyone would laugh or ignore it? At least he knows his mic is on. (I'm most "outraged" about the "childs." It was too hard to just say "children," you coward?!)

In a way it does remind me -- in a lesser way -- of the furor against Bill Maher, who mocked comic book fans' "deep, deep mourning" for Stan Lee after his death. That started a whole backlash, too. Comedians like to push buttons, and there are always people out there who take pride in announcing they don't like the new popular thing.

That's not to say he's wrong about comic book fans jumping quickly to outrage. There are people planning to protest in Sony's lot because Spider-Man appears to be leaving the MCU. Fans take this stuff very seriously. I love Marvel/DC fans' passion, as long as it doesn't cross the line into something vicious or hysterical.

Marc Maron was on Conan to promote the new season of GLOW on Netflix, but he is also said to play aspiring comedian Arthur Fleck's (Joaquin Phoenix) agent in Joker, which opens in October. His involvement in Joker led to calls of hypocrisy and a mini renewal of the DC/Marvel feud, but it doesn't even seem to have been foremost in his mind. He just wanted to work with Robert De Niro, who is also in Joker.

Besides, Joker definitely seems like a smaller comic book movie, it's not aiming for Justice League or Avengers scale. Joker opens in theaters October 4.

Legendary comic book creator Stan Lee is forever immortalized through his work and the pop culture icons he helped create, not to mention his entertaining cameos in various comic book movies. Now the Marvel icon will be immortalized and remembered in another way. In a week where Stan Lee’s co-creation Spider-Man had a movie cross $1 billion at the box office, Stan Lee has been given his own street in The Bronx.

According to the New York Post, on Tuesday the New York City Council voted to approve a proposal to name a street in the Bronx after the late Stan Lee, who passed away last November at the age of 95. Under the bill proposed by Council Member Fernando Cabrera, University Avenue between Brandt Place and West 176th Street will be co-named “Stan Lee Way” to honor the Marvel legend.

The proposal is part of a bill to codify 85 other honorary street names. Now that it has passed the City Council, the proposal goes to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s desk where it will await his signature to become official.

You’ll often see streets, buildings and other public places named after people that had nothing whatsoever to do with those places, but that’s not the case here. Like Peter Parker, Stan Lee was a native New Yorker, so this isn’t just an attempt by Fernando Cabrera to lock up the critical comic book nerd vote.

Stan Lee grew up in New York and lived in an apartment in the borough at 1720 University Place. He also went to DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx. So the proposal memorializes a native son of The Bronx in the place where he grew up.

For someone who was so influential and beloved and brought entertainment and joy to people the world over to be memorialized in his hometown feels right. I also really like that they went with Stan Lee Way as opposed to ‘Stan Lee Road’ or ‘Stan Lee Street’. Stan Lee Way just sounds better and has a secondary meaning honoring the way Stan Lee lived his life.

This is now just another way Stan Lee will live on, along with the characters he created and the lives they touched. Stan Lee appeared in his final Marvel cameo in this year’s Avengers: Endgame but that’s far from the end of him appearing on our screens in some fashion.

Stan Lee will get an on-screen tribute as well as recognition in the credits in Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. There is also a new cartoon called The Amazing Stan, which imagines a young Stan Lee in the modern times and what the world would look like through his eyes. In addition, The Russo Brothers have talked about developing a Stan Lee documentary. So Stan’s memory and influence won’t be fading anytime soon.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of this year’s biggest movies and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest superhero news.

So, just how tall is each actor who plays an Avenger in the MCU’s Avengers: Endgame? It’s a great question. It’s hard to tell how tall an actor is when they are up on a big screen. Sometimes they look a lot taller than they really are and sometimes viewers believe the opposite. It’s not a surprise that the tallest Marvel actor is Dave Bautista or that the shortest Marvel actor is Scarlett Johansson, but what about everyone else?

It’s especially hard to tell when the actors are in their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thanks to being enhanced by their superpowers (and just a little CGI). So, I've taken to the task and listed 26 of the most important Avengers and how tall the actor is who plays each character.

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)

Height: 5'3"

Black Window may be one of the toughest and most dangerous hand-to-hand combat specialists on the team. In the comics, Black Window is described as 5’7," but ScarJo herself is a petit 5 foot, 3 inches tall.

Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie)

Height: 5'4"

In comics, Valkyrie’s alter ego Samantha Parrington is 5’7," but when she becomes Valkyrie, she grows to a powerful 6’3”. Actress Tessa Thompson, however is just a bit shorter, standing 5’4.” Then again, she plays a much larger role on-screen.

Evangeline Lilly (The Wasp)

Height: 5'6"

When she’s the Wasp, she’s a mere ½ inch tall, so the 5’6” Evangeline Lilly is quite a bit taller when she appears as Hope Van Dyne in Avengers: Endgame and her other appearances in the MCU. In the comics, The Wasp’s alter ego, Janet Van Dyne is 5’4”, so Lilly isn’t too far off.

Tom Holland (Spider-Man)

Height: 5'6"

In the comics, Spider-Man and his alter ego Peter Parker are 5’10” -- 4 inches taller than the man who plays him in the MCU, Tom Holland. The difference actually works to Holland’s advantage in Avengers: Endgame as Spiderman is also the youngest Avenger, so looking smaller than other Avengers works well for the character. We'll have to wait and see if height matters in the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Brie Larson (Captain Marvel)

Height: 5'7"

The minimum height requirement for a U.S. Military pilot is 5’3” and the maximum is 6’4.”  Therefore, Brie Larson’s 5 feet and 7 inches are perfect for Carol Danvers, a pilot who turns into Captain Marvel. She is a bit shorter than the comics version of Danvers, who stands 5’11."

Danai Guirra (Okoye)

Height: 5'7"

The 5'7" Okoye, who also happens to be one of the fiercest warriors in Wakanda in Black Panther, doesn’t have a defined height in the comics, but Dania Guirra’s 5 foot 7 inches seems like it would be the perfect height for a soldier and bodyguard for the King Of Wakanda. Though she isn't seen much in Avengers: Endgame, she's still an important part of the MCU.

Zoe Saldana (Gamora)

Height: 5'7"

Zoe Saldana does an amazing job as the estranged adopted daughter of the evil Thanos in The Avengers movies, fighting against Thanos with the rest of the Guardians Of The Galaxy, but she is a little shorter than Gamora. The character, as describe in the comics, is an even 6 feet in height. Still, at 5’7," she is one of the most dangerous women in the world.

Don Cheadle (War Machine)

Height: 5'8"

James “Rhodey” Rhodes, the man in the War Machine suit, also doesn’t have a defined height, but Don Cheadle, at 5’8” is, like Brie Larson, well within the height requirements for a military pilot, which was his job before teaming up with Iron Man and becoming War Machine.

Mark Ruffalo (Hulk)

Height: 5'8"

Things can get a little confusing on this one. For starters, Bruce Banner is 5’8” in the comics, so that’s perfect for Mark Ruffalo. Of course The Hulk in the MCU is HUGE. Like, 20 feet tall or something. In the comics, he’s describe as somewhere between 7 and 8 feet tall, at least in the early days. The Hulk has grown a lot over the years, but another measure is the old TV show. Lou Ferrigno, the bodybuilder who played The Hulk in the TV show The Incredible Hulk for 5 years in the ‘70s and ‘80s, is 6’5."

Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye)

Height: 5'9"

Jeremy Renner is a little short for Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, in the Avengers movies. In the comics, the sharpshooting archer is 6’3," while Renner is about 6 inches shorter than that in real life. In his case, height isn’t a very important element to the character and Renner is the perfect actor for the role.

Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man)

Height: 5'9"

The biggest star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not the tallest actor in the cast (or the highest paid, initially), that’s for sure. At 5’9," Robert Downey, Jr. is a pretty average height, and 5’9” seems like a perfectly reasonable height for Tony Stark. Of course, his Iron Man suit makes him taller and is listed at 6’1” in the MCU, but a whopping 6’6” in the comics.

Anthony Mackie (Falcon)

Height: 5'10"

Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, was also a pilot, though in the comics, he is at 6 feet tall, and sometimes described as as much as 6’2." Thus, while actor Anthony Mackie is a couple of inches shy of 6 feet even, he’s not so far off.

Paul Rudd (Ant-Man)

Height: 5'10"

So where do you start with this one? Scott Lang, the former convict who becomes Ant-Man, seems to be a pretty average height, like Paul Rudd. Of course, when he shrinks down to ant size, he’s what, maybe a couple of centimeters tall? When he goes the other way though, look out! It’s never really been defined, but some online guesses have him at 70 or 80 feet tall.

Karen Gillan (Nebula)

Height: 5'11"

Not only is Karen Gillan perfect in the role of Nebula as an actress, she’s almost the perfect height for the role. As Gamora’s adopted sister, who shares Thanos as an adoptive father in The Avengers movies, Gamora is 6’11," just a couple inches taller than Karen Gillan is in real life.

Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier)

Height: 5'11"

Here’s a twist. Most of the actors' heights in The Avengers are shorter than their comic book characters, but not Sebastian Stan. At 5’11”, Stan is actually 4 inches taller than Bucky Barnes in the comics. Even when he becomes the Winter Soldier, he’s a mere 5’9," which is still shorter than Stan in real life.

Stan Lee

Height: 5'11"

OK, so he’s not a real Avenger, but he’s more Avenger than some of the Avengers in a way, right? The father of the Avengers stood at 5’11” before his death in 2018. We miss you Stan!

Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange)

Height: 6'0"

Benedict Cumberbatch, with his lean physique, is one of those actors who seems taller than he actually is. While Cumberbatch is 6 feet in height, he plays the slightly taller Dr. Strange, who is listed at 6’1.” Luckily, that should be no stretch for the versatile actor.

Bradley Cooper (Rocket)

Height: 6'0"

So it’s not really relevant to point out the differences between Rocket and Cooper's heights. However, the actor who voices the CGI-created character, Rocket, from Guardians Of The Galaxy and both Avengers movies, Bradley Cooper, is 6 feet tall. For reference sake, Rocket is described as 3’1” in the MCU and 4 feet even in the comics.

Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther)

Height: 6'0"

T’Challa, King of Wakanda and the current incarnation of Black Panther is actually 6’1," but even if that is an inch or so taller than Chadwick Boseman really is, no one is going to complain, as Boseman is the perfect actor for the role and at this point, there is no way to see anyone else in the role. No need to split hairs (or inches) here.

Chris Evans (Captain America)

Height: 6'0"

Before Steve Rogers was injected with the serum that made him Captain America, he was famously a 98-pound weakling. Considering he was 6’2," that’s… very weak. The serum added more than 100 pounds to Rogers, but his height stayed the same, making him a robust 6’2” 220. Chris Evans may be a couple inches shy of that, but that’s no matter, he’s still a great Captain America.

Vin Diesel (Groot)

Height: 6'0"

I am Groot. I am GROOT. I AM Groot. Also – the voice of Groot, Vin Diesel, is 6 feet tall, while older Groot is anywhere from 8 to 15 feet tall. Baby Groot is… smaller.

I am Groot.

Chris Pratt (Star-Lord)

Height: 6'2"

Chris Pratt is surprisingly tall at 6’2," which is perfect for playing Peter Quill/Star-Lord in The Avengers and Guardians Of The Galaxy, who is also 6’2." Pretty much everything about Chris Pratt is perfect for Star-Lord. While his casting may have been questioned by some at first, no one doubts it today.

Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury)

Height: 6'2"

Nick Fury is the man who made The Avengers happen. While he’s not really a superhero himself, his is one badass dude, just like the actor who plays him, Samuel L. Jackson. At 6’2," Jackson is actually an inch taller than Nick Fury is in the comics, but there is no one else who could play the role at this point, as Jackson has made it his own.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki)

Height: 6'2"

Loki, brother of Thor and constant annoyance to his royal brother, seems much smaller than Thor in all the Thor movies as well as the other MCU movies that Tom Hiddleston appears in, playing the forever-jealous adopted prince of Asgard, but in reality, Hiddleston is 6’2," just an inch shorter than Chris Hemsworth and a couple inches shorter than Loki in the comics, who stands at 6’4.”

Chris Hemsworth (Thor)

Height: 6'3"

The mighty Thor, Prince of Asgard and one of the key Avengers, is a mighty 6 feet, 6 inches in the comics. Though Chris Hemsworth is “only” 6’3," most can agree those 3 inches don’t matter much when Thor is battling alongside his fellow Avengers and wielding his mighty hammer or Mjolnir or his newer weapon Stormbreaker.

Dave Bautisa (Drax The Destroyer)

Height: 6'6"

Former professional wrestler Dave Bautista is one of the most outspoken members of The Avengers: Endgame cast and he is also by far the tallest. At 6’6," he towers over even Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Drax The Destroyer’s height varies in the Guardians Of The Galaxy comics, but it’s usually somewhere between 6’4” and 7’4," so Bautista’s 6’6” is pretty spot-on for this monster of a creature.

In case you were wondering about some of the villains in the MCU, Thanos is a 6’7” monster in the MCU, while the actor who plays him, Josh Brolin is 5’10." Yes, this is about average height for a man, but just a wee bit smaller than the Titan Eternal. As for Surtur, the giant, fiery villain in Thor: Ragnorok? He is a something like 1,000 feet tall and by far the tallest character in the series, though he’s played by a normal-sized man, motion-capture specialist Taika Waititi, who is just above average at 6 feet tall.

It’s doubtful that the casting directors in the MCU worry very much about height, except when it’s really necessary (like Drax or Thor), but they don’t ignore it either and they’ve done excellent work finding the perfect actors and actresses for each role, height included.

SPOILER alert on what's in the Avengers: Endgame re-release.

Avengers: Endgame is back in theaters, having never actually left, and this time the "bonus edition" re-release has about six minutes of new footage. The total runtime now is said to be 188 minutes. What's a few extra minutes when you've already been there over three hours? But what are you getting for this extra time and money -- besides the knowledge that you are helping to make cinematic history if/when Endgame beats Avatar? Here's what Marvel Studios added in the re-release.

A Sweet Tribute to Stan Lee

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee died in November 2018, but he lives on through his work, fans, and the MCU. Lee is already in Avengers: Endgame through his cameo in the 1970s era, but the re-release includes a new tribute, and it's the first thing that's added after the credits. The tribute features behind-the-scenes footage of Stan Lee filming his cameos. It sounds like this is what Kevin Feige was talking about when he said the studio put a video together -- a behind-the-scenes look at Lee's cameos and the B-roll that was shot.

An Unfinished Hulk Deleted Scene

Next up is a clearly unfinished scene with The Hulk that never made the final cut. Anthony Russo, who directed Avengers: Endgame with brother Joe, introduces the short Hulk scene with these words (via CNBC):

The unfinished scene is set at a burning building. The Hulk jumps down into the street holding a satellite dish, which he uses to carry people away from the fire. After that heroic act, we see him get a phone call, saying, "Steve who?" So that's apparently meant to be set right before Hulk has his meeting with Steve Rogers and the other Avengers at the diner, where he takes a photo with fans, etc.

A Scene From Spider-Man: Far From Home

One point of the re-release is just to try to beat Avatar for the title of highest-grossing movie of all time. Another point is to help promote Spider-Man: Far From Home, the MCU movie that directly follows and is tied to Avengers: Endgame. So the last thing added to the Avengers 4 bonus release is the opening scene to Far From Home. The scene is set in a Mexican town that was devastated by a cyclone -- except this cyclone seemed to have a face. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) show up on scene, and Jake Gyllenhaal's new character Mysterio also arrives. The cyclone monster (really the Earth Elemental) appears, and Mysterio tells Hill and Fury, "You don't want any part of this," and starts fighting the monster.

What do you think, worth the extra time and money to be part of cinematic history? Avengers: Endgame now needs less than $38 million to pass Avatar's money to take the new title of highest-grossing movie of all time. According to Box Office Mojo, Avatar's total gross is $2,787,965,087 so that's the number to beat. We'll have to see if that happens. Spider-Man: Far From Home opens in theaters this Tuesday, July 2.

The collective Infinity Saga, which makes up the 23-film arc of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to date, concludes with Spider-Man: Far From Home. And while it may seem like Avengers: Endgame is the natural end to the Infinity Saga story, there’s enough in Far From Home to both wrap up that story and set up the future of MCU tales moving forward.

But one grand tradition that Marvel fans have grown to anticipate in the MCU movies will not continue with Spider-Man: Far From Home, and that’s the Stan Lee cameo. Of course, Stan passed away on November 12, 2018. And we had reported that Avengers: Endgame was intended to be Lee’s final cameo (he is spotted driving past the facility that “birthed” Captain America, shouting at soldiers that they should make love, not war).

But when the ReelBlend guys had a chance to speak with Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts about the making of his new sequel, co-host Kevin McCarthy asked if there ever was an early plan to include a Stan Lee cameo in the sequel, and Watts admitted to us:

And that makes sense. There’s real closure to Stan Lee appearing in Avengers: Endgame, and having that be his last on-screen appearance. That movie really does feel like the culmination to everything that began when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) stepped out of the shadows to discuss The Avengers Initiative with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). The Stan Lee cameos can’t last forever, and Endgame was the right place for them to conclude.

Also, I’m not 100% sure another live-action Stan Lee cameo would be able to top the AMAZING one that was included in the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This one makes me choke up, every single time.

The ReelBlend podcast conversation with Jon Watts is a home run. It’s completely non-spoilery, and can be heard in its entirety below. We will also have an episode that is loaded with spoilers posting AFTER the movie is out, so stay tuned for that.

Spider-Man: Far From Home may not have a Stan Lee cameo, but there are plenty of huge moments in the movie for die-hard fans. See for yourself when the movie opens in theaters on July 2.

In recent years, Stan Lee mastered the superpower of showing up unexpectedly in just about every piece of entertainment from Marvel and his legacy continues in the afterlife. Out of the blue, the comic book icon is gracing the streets of Paris with his larger-than-life personality and infectious smile. Check out this beautiful mural that just popped up in France:

from r/Marvel

What an awesome homage to the late-great Stan Lee. The French mural (via Reddit) includes a portrait of him in the center of the Marvel Comics logo and hanging out among his most memorable heroes The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man. The street art also includes the message “Excelsior! You were the best hero!” and a few instances of “RIP 1922-2018”.

Mural cameos of the legend have previously popped up in Glasgow, Scotland and Los Angeles, California shortly after his passing back in November. Take a look at the making of LA tribute to him which was created just days after his death:

It goes to show that fans won’t soon forget the comic book writer who left 60 years of memorable comic book characters and stories behind with him. Stars such as Jeremy Renner still share their fond memories of him. The Russo Brothers recently revealed a set photo of his final cameo in Avengers: Endgame as well.

After years of regular appearances in Marvel films and television shows, his last cameos have now all been seen, most notably with his poignant voice over in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and adorable exchange with Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel. He was also given a tribute during the Marvel opening for Captain Marvel that got fans emotional before the March release had even begun.

Stan Lee may have played a role in the culmination Avengers: Endgame was for the MCU, he however never got to witness it in all its glory. Kevin Feige broke the news last month, explaining he would always wait until the premieres to get his fix on Marvel’s latest offerings.

Despite all of his success, the icon had a tough final year as he faced the loss of his wife, multiple robberies and was granted a restraining order against his business manager, who now faces elder abuse charges for his previous actions toward Lee.

Stan Lee is undoubtedly an important pop culture figure who will be receiving a continuous shower of love and homage for as long as his comic book heroes continue to be prominent. (So forever?) Marvel films have become the biggest blockbusters in the world, with Spider-Man: Far From Home soon hitting theaters on July 3 and an upcoming Phase 4 lineup for the studio.

When you think of your favorite personalities in Marvel comics, perhaps Iron Man or Spider-Man or Black Widow pop into your mind. It is only fair, however, that when those names enter your mind, you also picture their creator, Stan Lee.

Avengers: Endgame was a momentous and thrilling, yet bittersweet, flick for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not just because it marked the end of an era in the franchise 11 years in the making, but it also saw the final cameo appearance of Stan Lee.

The comic book pioneer made a name for himself as the face of Marvel Comics, having been a landmark contributor to the company since its infancy and eventually becoming its editor-in-chief for decades. Until his death, he was a living legend and hero to the millions who read his characters’ stories and watched the films his work inspired.

Stan Lee will never be forgotten thanks to the legacy he has left behind, but what else do you know about him outside of his MCU cameos? Take a look.

What Is Stan Lee Famous For?

The question really should be, what is Stan Lee NOT famous for? Well, perhaps he is not famous for being a successful sushi chef or winning American Idol, for instance. Yet, throughout his long career as a comic book writer, editor, and publisher at Marvel comics, Lee still managed to achieve plenty of other highly public accomplishments.

Stan "The Man" Lee, born Stanley Martin Lieber in Manhattan on December 28, 1922, to Romanian immigrants, became involved with Marvel Comics in its infancy in 1939, when it was still called Timely Comics. He would become a key player in the creation of many of the comic book giant's most iconic characters throughout the 1960s, some of which were a collaboration with his brother, Larry Lieber.

After his official retirement as a publisher in the mid-1990s, Stan Lee still refused to slow down, making appearances in films and television shows, and even trying his hand at reimagining some notable DC titles in the early 2000s. He would famously endure a decades-long fallout with Marvel comics artist and Spider-Man co-creator Jack Kirby over creative credit, a hit-or-miss initial attempt to translate Marvel properties to film and TV in the 1980s, and a highly publicized lawsuit against his allegedly abusive former manager, Keya Morgan.

Before his death, Stan Lee would also go on to win many awards for his work, including the National Medal of the Arts, The Will Eisner Hall of Fame, and a spot on the Hollywood walk of fame. He also easily became the biggest name in the comic book industry that did not wear a mask.

What Did Stan Lee Do At Marvel Comics?

The question should be: What did Stan Lee NOT do at Marvel Comics? Honestly, “The Man” was quite the jack of all trades for the comic book publishing giant, starting out all the way at the bottom of the totem pole.

With help from his maternal uncle Robbie Soloman, Stan Lee got a job as an assistant at the newly established Timely Comics, a division of the scandalous Pulp Magazine, in 1939. The position required him to deliver writers’ lunches, proofread their pages, and make sure ink wells were full for dipping, as the artists needed to do with their pens.

He achieved his aspirations in 1941, making his debut as a comic book writer under the pseudonym “Stan Lee” (long before it became his legal name) in Captain America Comics #3, which introduced Steve Rogers’ signature shield throw. That same year, after Timely’s editor-in-chief Joe Simon left following a nasty dispute with publisher Martin Goodman, Goodman gave then 19-year-old Lee the position.

In 1942, Stan Lee was forced to temporarily hand off his editor-in-chief position at Timely to Vincent Fago until 1945 while he was on military leave. Lee served as a “playwright” for the Army’s Training Film Division, which also included future artistic heavy-weights such as Frank Capra (director of It’s A Wonderful Life), Charles Addams (creator of The Addams Family), and Theodor Geisel, who you might know better as “Dr. Seuss.”

Stan Lee returned to Timely as editor-in-chief in 1945, a position he held until 1972 when he took over Martin Goodman as a publisher. It was during that time when, in 1961, Lee relaunched the company, which had been known as Atlas throughout the 1950s, with a new goal of creating more varied and complex superhero characters and stories under a new name: Marvel.

The Marvel Comics revolution brought upon a revolution of the comic book industry in general in the 1960s and so on. Until he would step away from his regular duties at Marvel in 1996, Stan Lee had a hand in introducing the inclusion of superheroes of more diverse cultures, he helped reform the Comics Code Authority in 1971 to allow more challenging subject matter, and he fiercely pushed for the publishing of stories that attacked social injustices of the time.

Above all, he is credited with helping create some of the most endurable comic book characters of all time. Such as...

What Superheroes Did Stan Lee Create?

The question should be, what superheroes did Stan Lee NOT… You know what? I think you get the picture.

Basically, if you were to throw a dart at a photo collage of every Marvel character ever created, there is at least a 90 percent chance that whatever character you would hit has Stan Lee’s name on it. The comic book industry, and the movie industry as well, owe more to “The Man” than is even fathomable with the amount of heroes and villains he thought of and helped develop.

Marvel Comics’ first superhero family, The Fantastic Four, was Stan Lee’s first collaboration with Jack Kirby in 1961, before the dynamic duo introduced the world to one the most indestructible characters, The Incredible Hulk, in 1962. That same year, Lee, Kirby, and Lee’s brother Larry Lieber would reimagine the character of Norse mythology, Thor, as a superhero, as well as introduce Ant-Man, then the alter-ego of inventor Hank Pym.

However, Marvel’s most endurable character to come out of 1962 was from the mind of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It was a 15-year-old kid named Peter Parker who, after a radioactive spider bite gives him amazing abilities, takes on the persona of Spider-Man, now brought to life in his most accurate cinematic depiction yet by Tom Holland.

In 1963, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber collaborated with Don Heck on the development of Iron Man. A much subtler version of Tony Stark than Robert Downey Jr.’s cinematic adaptation at first, Lee invented Iron Man as a way to explore Cold War themes.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby also struck gold in 1963 with their next “family” of heroes, The X-Men, featuring Archangel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Jean Grey (then known as Marvel Girl). The team of mutants, led by Professor Charles Xavier, were heavily inspired by the civil rights movement at the time, with Xavier representing the philosophies of Martin Luther King and his adversary Magneto inspired by Malcolm X’s opposing civil rights philosophies.

Two of the Avengers’ best pals, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, were both created in 1964. Stan Lee and artist Don Heck first introduced Barton under his costumed moniker Hawkeye as a reluctant villain in Tales of Suspense. While the Black Widow name has existed since 1940, Lee, Heck, and scripter Don Rico reimagined her as Natasha Romanoff in another issue of Tales of Suspense.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby made history by creating Black Panther, the first black superhero in comic book history. T’Challa, king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, was first introduced in a Fantastic Four story in 1966.

As a fun bonus fact of trivia: Did you know that Stan Lee was one of the people behind Groot? The tree-like creature, who would eventually became a favorite among fans of Guardians of the Galaxy, was originally conceived as a villain in Tales to Astonish by Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber.

This is barely scratching the surface of Stan Lee’s superhero creations, actually. I could go on talking about Daredevil, Hawkeye, Black Widow (originally a 1940 creation reimagined as Natasha Romanoff in 1964), Punisher, and countless others, but there are still more questions to cover.

What Was Stan Lee’s Net Worth?

Stan Lee’s ownership of his countless Marvel comic character creations may have you assume he was sleeping on moneybags in a mansion built with stacks of cash. Do not get me wrong: he was loaded, but not even Avengers: Endgame opening weekend loaded.

Throughout the years following his career at Marvel, Stan Lee received the decidedly comfortable lifetime salary of $1 million per year from the company as its chairman emeritus, a more symbolic position than anything else. However, from Disney’s acquirement of Marvel Entertainment, Lee received a whopping nothing.

At the time of his death at 95, Stan Lee’s overall net worth was recorded at approximately, $50 million. That sounds like a mistake given the empire this man is mostly responsible for, but he was employed by the publisher, not the merchandisers or the studio making the movies. Yet, Stan Lee was the kind of person whose wealth would better be measured by accomplishment, admiration, and life itself.

Who Was Stan Lee’s Wife?

With Marvel comics’ costumed vigilantes set aside, the story that Stan Lee was most proud to be a part of was his romance with his wife of nearly 70 years.

Joan Lee (née Boocock) was born February 5, 1922, in Gosforth, England. She was working as a hat model in 1947 around the time she met Stan Lee, at which point she was already married. After two weeks of dating Lee, Joan annulled her previous marriage and then immediately married Lee on the same day, December 5, 1947.

Joan would find a career by indulging in her husband’s creations, voice acting in animated series adaptations of Fantastic Four and Iron Man in the 1990s. She even made a live-action cameo appearance alongside Stan Lee in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Director, and friend to the Lee family, Kevin Smith would often refer to Joan as Stan’s “Marvel Muse.”

On July 6, 2017, Joan and Stan Lee’s romance ended with Joan succumbing to complications related to a stroke. Lee was devastated by the loss, appearing to have slowed down significantly in health following Joan’s death until his death the following year.

That does not mean that death was the end of Stan and Joan Lee’s legacy. Fans were treated with a sweet, posthumous reunion for the couple, digitally recreating Joan’s likeness and de-aging Stan to his 1970s appearance in Avengers: Endgame.

Did Stan Lee Have Any Children?

Stan Lee and his wife Joan were both survived solely by their daughter J.C. Lee. She was born Joan Celia Lieber in April 1950, and would eventually go onto a career in acting and film production.

However, Stan and Joan Lee actually had two daughters. Their first child, Jan Lee, was born in 1953 but sadly passed away three days later.

Does Stan Lee Do A Cameo In Every Marvel Movie?

Other than epic battles of hand-to-hand combat and the tease of post-credit sequences, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe most anticipate the appearance of the original man behind the franchise. Stan Lee reveled in doing cameos in the Marvel movies, which allowed him to live out his additional dream of being an actor.

His first live-action appearance in a Marvel movie adaptation as a hot dog vendor in 2000’s X-Men began a tradition of casting Stan Lee in more big budget superhero films, earning brief spots in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and other films in the early 2000s. It was Kevin Feige’s MCU, however, that made a point to give Lee a memorable inclusion to every film in the franchise, his last being Avengers: Endgame.

In fact, given the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe plus his many other big screen appearances outside of the franchise, Stan Lee is technically the highest-grossing actor in the world. ‘Nuff said.

How And When Did Stan Lee Die?

Comic book fans had heavy hearts the day they lost their favorite Spider-Friend, the man whose imagination and talent gave birth to the most inspirational costumed heroes over many generations.

Stan Lee passed away on November 12, 2018, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital in Los Angeles. California. He was 95.

The Marvel Comics legend and MCU cameo darling had been battling pneumonia earlier that year. The official cause of Stan Lee’s death was recorded as cardiac arrest with respiratory failure and congestive heart failure as underlying causes.

For days after his death, tributes to Stan Lee from fans, colleagues, friends, and the actors who brought his creations to life on the big screen flooded the internet. The tributes have yet to stop. Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) posted this video to his Instagram just this past May:

Stan Lee may have passed on, but we have not seen the last of him yet. He is the kind of icon with a legacy so rich and vast, through movies, comic books, and whatever else he inspired, that he will remain immortal.

Did you we leave anything out of our Stan Lee retrospective that we should have included? What is your favorite Stan Lee fact or memory?

Avengers: Endgame Spoilers Ahead

It's been weeks since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters, and the conversation surrounding the blockbuster is showing no signs of slowing. With the spoiler ban lifted, the cast and crew have been able to reveal more details, and answer lingering questions left after the film concluded. Endgame also marked Stan Lee's final cameo in the MCU, due to his death in November of 2018.

Stan Lee's Avengers: Endgame cameo doesn't disappoint, but unfortunately it doesn't look like the comic book icon got to see it before his passing. Kevin Feige recently broke the news that Lee didn't get to see Endgame, saying:

What a bummer. But while Stan Lee didn't get to watch the epic and complex narrative of Avengers: Endgame before passing away, he was at least cued into movie's contents. And his final cameo is definitely one for the record books.

Kevin Feige's reveal about Stan Lee came from the Marvel Studio Head's recent Reddit AMA. Feige answered a variety of questions concerning the Marvel Cinematic Universe-- both its past and future. When asked if Lee got a chance to check out an early screener of Avengers: Endgame before his death, Feige revealed that the comic book legend preferred seeing them on the big screen.

It's that same childlike wonder that is what makes Stan Lee such a legend, and why his creations were able to transcend pop culture. And considering how visually stunning Avengers: Endgame was, it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Related: Marvel Is Making A Supercut Of Stan Lee Cameos And Unused Footage

Especially the absolutely behemoth final battle at the Avengers Compound, which saw the dusted characters and countless characters engage Thanos' army. The visual effects are stunning, with a ton of action and characters to follow in every frame. It's only a shame that Stan Lee wasn't able to enjoy every payoff and applause-inducing moment.

Stan Lee appeared in Avengers: Endgame in the film's second act, during the super ambitious Time Heist sequence. After accidentally allowing Loki to escape with the Space Stone, Cap and Tony traveled back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in 1970. As the exterior of the facility is set up, we see a car driving by with the license plate "excelsior". Lee is behind the wheel, telling the government agency to make love, not war.

It's hard to imagine the Marvel Cinematic Universe without Stan Lee, especially his iconic cameos. But his vision continues to live in the blood of the massive franchise, which is showing no signs of slowing down.

You can catch Stan Lee in Avengers: Endgame, which is ramping up for yet another weekend at the box office. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

After his November passing, Stan Lee left behind an incredible legacy with his contributions to Marvel. However, the last year of his life was not kind to the comic book icon, namely with the tumultuous relationship between him and his former business manager, Keya Morgan. After Lee was granted a restraining order against Morgan back in August for claims over mishandling over $5 million of his money receiving physical and emotional abuse from him, Morgan has been charged with five counts of elder abuse against Stan Lee.

The Los Angeles superior court has issued an arrest warrant against Stan Lee’s former business manager with charges that include false imprisonment, fraud and forgery, per The Guardian. Along with allegedly taking advantage of the Marvel Comics legend’s fortune, Keya Morgan also has been accused of moving Lee to an undisclosed location to isolate him from his family and friends and using their relationship to embezzle artwork as well.

An incident in May 2018 fueled the fire when Keya Morgan reportedly dialed 911 while with Stan Lee’s Los Angeles home with visiting police and a social worker to get them arrested for “trespassing” while they were called to help him perform a welfare check. Morgan was arrested with charges of filing a false police report. While in June, Stan Lee originally refuted claims regarding Keya Morgan, he decided to file the restraining order a few months later. It required Morgan to stay at least 100 yards away from Lee for three years.

The business manager was also accused of taking hold of Stan Lee’s Twitter account to post some irregular tweets and being behind a 2018 $1 billion lawsuit by Lee against his own company Pow! Entertainment, which was dropped a couple months later by the comics creator. Morgan has defended the accusations against him with claims that they are motivated by Lee’s daughter JC, who is leading a “witch hunt” with their lawyer because she could not stand how much Stan Lee liked him so much.

The lawyers representing Stan Lee Lee and his daughter, Kirk Schenck and Jonathan Freund said that since Lee lost his wife Joan in 2017, multiple people have attempted to get close to Stan Lee, his business and affairs to take advantage of him. In Schenck’s words to The Guardian:

Sounds like Stan Lee was facing a tough reality at the end of his life as multiple people close to him were seeking to exploit his fortune. In addition to recently becoming a widower, Lee was faced with over $2 million dollars in robberies that year, health issues and someone even stole some of his blood to forge his signature on Black Panther comic books in Las Vegas.

Controversies aside, the Marvel legend played a part in the recent MCU culmination by providing his last cameo in Avengers: Endgamewhich has made well over $2.5 billion at the box office worldwide in less than three weeks on the big screen.

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a fascinating place, as 21 movies collided with The Russo Brothers' Avengers: Endgame. The massive blockbuster was deeply connected to the MCU's past, and contained a ton of surprise cameos and long awaited moments. And aside from the narrative implications of Endgame, the latest Marvel release also contains its final cameo from comic book legend Stan Lee.

Stan Lee died in November of 2018, and it was a loss felt by generations of comic book fans. Lee's creations are currently dominating the movie landscape, and it's doubly sad that he didn't get to see Endgame in full. Now that spoiler ban on Avengers: Endgame has officially been lifted, The Russo Brothers shared a behind the scene glimpse at Lee's final appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Check it out.

As always, Stan Lee looks pleased to be back on set. The comic visionary thoroughly enjoyed his various onscreen appearances, totaling in 22 roles in the MCU. And that doesn't even include the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises.

Stan Lee pops up in Avengers: Endgame during the blockbuster's second act. During the masterfully crafted time heist, Iron Man and Captain America travel to the year 1970. As the S.H.I.E.L.D. location is shown to the audience, we also see a vintage car driving with the license plate "excelsior". That ride is being driven by none other than Lee himself, who encourages the agency to make love and not war.

While not quite as emotional as his role in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Stan Lee is quickly able to steal the scene, and make the audience laugh. Given how high the stakes of Avengers: Endgame are, moments of levity are sorely needed, and help to buoy the movie's complicated narrative. And Lee's message of love is all the more powerful in the wake of his death.

It's hard to imagine the Marvel Cinematic Universe without Stan Lee's presence, as his creativity and excitement over the genre flow through the franchise's blood. Lee passed shortly away before Captain Marvel arrived in theaters, with his cameo in that movie being super self-aware. Additionally, screenings of Captain Marvel opened with a tribute to Stan Lee, which was particularly touching.

Stan Lee has obviously had a ton of Marvel cameos, and he wasn't shy about sharing his excitement for each new one. Lee loved getting some screen time, listing his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron as his favorite before his passing. His reasoning? Because it was the most lines, as he had two smaller scenes instead of one.

When discussing his Age of Ultron role, Stan Lee previously made his feelings known, saying:

Stan Lee truly never disappointed the Marvel fandom, constantly showing his enthusiasm for the shared universe, as well as life on the page. This excitement obviously bled over to his onscreen roles, with the comic book visionary hoping to get even more screen time. But Age of Ultron remains his biggest role, unless you count the myriad hidden Stan Lees in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

As a reminder, you can check out Stan Lee's Avengers: Age of Ultron cameo below. below.

Remember folks: when Thor offers you a drink, you might want to be careful. The God of Thunder has a far stronger tolerance for intoxication than we mere mortals.

Looking back on this Age of Ultron scene is quite different after seeing Avengers: Endgame, and for a multitude of reasons. To start, it seems to tease Thor's eventual problem with alcohol after the five year time jump. Thor sunk into a deep depression after Thanos' snap, and he relied heavily on beer and Fortnite to get him through.

Additionally, the rest of the party scene includes Captain America attempting to lift Thor's hammer. While he seemingly failed, Endgame revealed Steve Rogers was worthy all along. He was just sparing his friend's feelings.

Stan Lee's role(s) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe took an interesting turn during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Lee was shown in space, speaking with cosmic characters The Watchers. In the brief scene, Stan Lee made reference to multiple past cameos, not so subtly implying that he's actually been playing one character the whole time. Unfortunately, it looks like that plot point will likely not reach its fruition, as Lee died before he could record an appearance in the upcoming Guardians threequel.

Then again, James Gunn has been known to take creative risks, so it's doesn't seem out of the question that Stan Lee's Guardians 2 role and/or The Watchers. Gunn meticulously crafted the first two installments, and no doubt has a master plan for Vol. 3. So Lee might end up getting at least a reference in final addition to the Guardians trilogy.

It should be interesting to see how Marvel Studios continues to honor Stan Lee, as he'll no longer be able to film new appearances. But given the MCU's connection to the legendary icon, it wouldn't be surprising if Kevin Feige and company are finding a new way to pay tribute. The shared universe will need to continue strong not only without Stan Lee, but also its stars in the form of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, including Stan Lee's final Marvel cameo. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

In its two weeks in theaters, Avengers: Endgame has been aptly named as it is a film of endings; endings for characters, stories and an unprecedented cinematic arc that dates back to 2008. It also marks the last MCU cameo of Stan Lee, who passed away in November. That sad reality must have been on Jeremy Renner’s mind because the Hawkeye actor has shared a video of a moment he spent with the late comics legend. Check it out:

With the accuracy of an arrow loosed from Hawkeye’s bow, this video hits the bullseye of bittersweetness. It is incredibly heartwarming and puts a smile on your face to see Jeremy Renner and Stan Lee together. It also reminds us that a wonderful person, who personally and through his creations touched so many, is now gone from the world.

Part of what’s great about this video from Jeremy Renner’s Instagram is that the expression on his face is the same one that many of us would have if we got to meet and interact with Stan Lee. He can’t hold back his gleeful smile and he clearly has genuine affection for the man who, along with artist Don Heck, created his character Hawkeye all the way back in the 1960s.

The post itself is a tribute to Stan Lee and Jeremy Renner even offers a little bow of deference to him in the video. And if there was any doubt, Jeremy Renner makes it plain how he feels about Stan Lee with the video’s caption.

The other thing that comes across is how gracious Stan Lee always seemed to be. He always appeared thrilled just to be a part of everything and see how far comic book characters, some of whom, like Hawkeye, he had a direct hand in creating, have come in pop culture.

This video is also just another reminder that although he is most famous for what he did sitting behind a desk writing stories, Stan Lee was made for the spotlight, and he knew how to play to the camera and a crowd better than just about anybody. His comic book poses are just great and you can tell how much fun he was having.

It’s a shame that he never got to see Avengers: Endgame, but that’s both the tragedy and the beauty of it. Stan Lee created and helped create characters that people connected with and whose stories became a permanent part of pop culture. His characters would always outlast him and in that way he too lives on.

Jeremy Renner’s Instagram video remembering Stan Lee won’t be the last time the legend is honored. Marvel is making a supercut of Stan Lee’s famous cameos and Avengers: Endgame directors The Russo Brothers have hinted that they are working on something of a documentary about him.

You can see Stan Lee’s last MCU cameo in Avengers: Endgame, now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the movies you can look forward to this year.

This weekend’s Avengers: Endgame marks the end of the MCU’s 11-year journey and the story of The Infinity Saga. It also sadly marks the end of the late Stan Lee’s iconic comic book movie cameos, as he makes his final bow in the Russo Brothers’ film. Although his cameos have come to an end, Stan Lee’s memory will live on. And it seems that the Russo Brothers will do more than they already have to make sure of it.

Speaking about Stan Lee, Anthony Russo revealed that he and his brother are developing a documentary about the comic book legend. Anthony said:

Although we obviously all wish Stan were still alive and healthy to make cameos for decades to come, the Russo Brothers seem honored that Stan Lee’s final cameo came in their culmination film. The Russo Brothers clearly had a lot of love for Stan Lee and his creations and that fascination has led them to begin developing a documentary of some sort about him.

In his comments to IANS, Anthony Russo indicated that he wasn’t ready to reveal too much about the project just yet, so we don’t really know when, where or what format it will eventually arrive in. But it seems that it will be either a full on documentary or something with documentary elements that looks at Stan Lee’s Marvel career. And that alone is enough to be excited for.

This won’t be the first Stan Lee documentary out there because in 2010 there was the excellently titled documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story. That doc is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video streaming.

Now that his long and immeasurably influential life has come to an end, it is fitting that we take a look back and celebrate that life and a documentary is a great way to do that. It is also fitting that the two directors who have given so much to the MCU and its fans are developing a documentary about the man who gave so much to them, and without whom the MCU wouldn’t even be possible.

This isn’t the only tribute of sorts to Stan Lee in the works. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently revealed that the studio is putting together a compilation video of all of Stan Lee’s cameos as well as the behind-the-scenes footage and B-roll from the filming of those cameos. I anticipate that will be a lovely tearjerker.

You can catch Stan Lee’s final MCU cameo in Avengers: Endgame, which arrives in theaters this weekend. We’ll keep you updated about the Russo Brothers’ Stan Lee documentary and check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the big movies headed your way this summer.

It's a very exciting time to be a Marvel fan. Avengers: Endgame is days away from arriving in theaters, and Disney's merger with Fox means that comic book favorites like the Fantastic Four and X-Men may make their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And although there's plenty to celebrate in the world of Marvel comics, it's sad that visionary Stan Lee is no longer with us to enjoy it all.

But while Stan Lee passed away in November, he's still got a few more appearances on screen. Lee was known for his fantastic Marvel cameos, able to steal the show with one quick line reading. And it looks like Marvel Studios has found another way to honor him, by compiling all his cameos and even some unused footage into one epic tribute. As Kevin Feige recently revealed:

Well, this is exciting. In addition to compiling Stan Lee's countless cameos, it looks like the new tribute video will also include deleted scenes and B-roll of the comic book visionary at work. In short: excelsior!

Kevin Feige's comments to EW are sure to delight the generations of Marvel fans who are missing Stan Lee during this exciting time in film history. Avengers: Endgame will be the cumulation of 21 movies and a decade of filming, and Stan Lee was there throughout almost all of it. The comic book creator always delighted in seeing Marvel's finest on the big screen, and Endgame has been teased to be bigger and better than anything we've seen before.

Given how delightful Stan Lee was up until his death at age 95, many moviegoers who would love to see extra footage of the Stan the Man in action. Many of his MCU roles included one liners, but that doesn't mean those were the only lines offered. Typically Lee tried a few different versions of his cameos, so there should be plenty of unused footage to mine from. So while Avengers: Endgame may be his final cameo in the MCU, the public should expect new clips from him regardless.

Related: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Director Reveals Stan Lee's Cut Lines

The stakes for Avengers: Endgame are already sky high, but Stan Lee's cameo gives the upcoming blockbuster yet another goal to live up to. Luckily for us all, Endgame looks like it will do just that. The early response from the movie's premiere is overwhelmingly positive, and The Russo Brothers might just top the massive success of Infinity War.

Stan Lee will return to screens when Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26th. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Welcome to HeroBlend# 51! This week, Eric and Adrienne are going to dive into her thoughts on Hellboy and talk some spoilers, and give some fearless predictions on what might happen in Avengers: Endgame, along with an interview with Infinity War and Endgame producer Trinh Tran! First, though, we've got a big surprise for everyone. In honor of the opening of Avengers: Endgame and HeroBlend fans, we're holding our first ever contest! If you head here, you can enter our Avengers: Endgame Death Pool contest. You'll be tasked with predicting who will live and who will die by the end of the upcoming mega-blockbuster, and could win your very own Marvel Legends Series Infinity Gauntlet if you enter, so get to it!

Next, we've got a lot of awesome news items to get to this week. So, we'll be going over a host of box office, trailer, TV, MCU and DC updates. These will include an update on Shazam! and his box office dominance, the last X-Men: Dark Phoenix trailer, DC Universe's Swamp Thing teaser and word on some show shakeups, whether or not Smallville's Tom Welling will really show up on Arrow in the final season, the Russo Brothers (and Eric's) response to all the Endgame spoilers that are floating around, John Cena's potential role in The Suicide Squad and a lot more!

As we all know by now, Hellboy has not fared well with critics and audiences have not come out in droves for the film, either. Eric was able to give his spoiler-free thoughts on the movie last week, but now Adrienne has seen it, and she's got some things to say. So, we'll get into her reactions and talk a few spoilerific things about the reboot, as well.

Last, but absolutely not least, with Avengers: Endgame coming out in just a week, it's fearless prediction time! So, we'll be throwing out our ideas for what we think could happen with regards to how all the big mysteries get solved, who's not going to be on screen for that long, who hasn't been confirmed alive yet but is and will be important, what we think of new MCU characters who might be in the film and other who, what, when, where, why and how based predictions! And, to wrap this segment up, we've got Eric's interview with Infinity War and Endgame producer Trinh Tran. Now, sit back and relax, folks, because this is one chat you're not going to want to miss. Ready to dive in? Great! Listen for yourself above!

3:17 - News

36:34 - Hellboy Reaction/Spoilers

44:43 - Final Endgame Predictions

1:02:34 - Trinh Tran Interview

Now, get in on the superhero-filled fun and have a listen to the HeroBlend Podcast #51! Don't forget to enter our Avengers: Endgame Death Pool contest, right here, for your chance to win a Marvel Legends Series Infinity Gauntlet! And, be sure to subscribe to the HeroBlend Podcast on iTunes, right here, follow us on Twitter @HeroBlend and follow our hosts @eeisenberg and @HeyAJ74.