To superhero fans, spotting Stan Lee’s cameo in each of the movies starring the characters he created has become just as important as seeing the films themselves. From the hot dog vendor in the 2000’s X-Men to the dog walking love guru in 2018’s Venom, he’s always added something special to the flicks. X-Men: Dark Phoenix, though, will have no such cameo.
But fear not; there will still be a tribute to The Watcher himself. In an interview with Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg and producer Hutch Parker, CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg gives us the dish, straight from the mouths of the filmmakers:
“We don’t have a cameo. I’d rather say that than then keep it mysterious, out of respect for Stan. We do have some tribute to him, and it’s something that obviously we weren’t thinking about when we were making the movie because he was still very much alive. And he’s been such a huge part of making these films over the years. He’s had cameos; he’s had input into the process of making them.”
I don’t know about you, but as fun as it is to think about the fan-fueled thought that Deadpool should take over Stan Lee’s cameos, simple tributes to the man in the forthcoming superhero movies would never get old in my book. And judging from the Dark Phoenix trailer, it looks like we’re going to get a one-two punch in the feels; first, with the loss of a major X-Man (or X-Woman), and then with the Stan Lee tribute, whatever it may be.
Speaking of feels, Stan’s cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse also included an appearance of his wife of almost 70 years, Joan Lee. She passed away a year after the film was released, so it was a special moment for Stan, as well as his fans. It also held a special place in Kinberg’s heart, which became apparent as he spoke to Eisenberg.
“We went to his house for his cameo in Apocalypse, with him and his wife – which was a really special one because it was with his wife. They were so close, and they were together for, I mean, I think most of their adult lives.”
With X-Men: Dark Phoenix reportedly being the last appearance of the current stars playing our beloved mutants, this final X-tribute to The Man will no doubt carry quite a bit of weight with everyone involved, from the moviegoers to the men and women behind the curtain.
