The world is still reeling from yesterday’s news that the legendary Stan Lee has passed away. For an immeasurable number of comic book readers, this celebrated writer was as iconic as they come, and for many a filmgoer, Lee will always be remembered for his numerous cameos in Marvel-related movies.
In fact, while Lee is no longer with us, you can expect to see him on our screens at least a couple more times in upcoming MCU releases like Captain Marvel and Avengers 4, with directors Anthony and Joe Russo explaining earlier this year how his cameos tended to be filmed in batches. This raises the question of how many more of these traditional Lee moments are lined up for the future, but when Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was asked about the matter in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the producer thought it best to leave that a mystery for now:
“One of the many things I learned from Stan was that everyone likes a surprise. We’ll think about an appropriate way [to honor him], but even in the 18 years I’ve been at Marvel, the appropriate way is to do justice to the amazing characters and stories that he created. And we’ll continue to do that.”
It’s true that Lee’s cameos wouldn’t be quite the same if they were telegraphed in advance, with the element of surprise being one reason why so many fans still look forward to that moment where a familiar face pops up amidst the action.
In the wake of the recent news, these last couple of days have seen an outpouring of tributes to Stan Lee on social media, with an array of fans and public figures reflecting on the late writer’s legacy and thanking him for helping to make this world-conquering comic book brand what it is today. Regardless of how many cameos are still left for the man, you can bet that each and every one of them will prove a bittersweet experience for countless viewers across the globe.
