Last month, the world lost a true creative icon.
Stan Lee, one of Marvel’s greatest ever exports, passed away at the age of 95, leaving behind a wealth of comic book gold ranging from Spider-Man to Black Panther, Thor to the Fantastic Four. Most, if not all of those characters have been integrated into the fabric of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well, which really underlines the longevity of Lee’s timeless creations.
Indeed, MCU chief Kevin Feige recently spoke about Stan Lee’s lasting legacy while appearing on Variety’s Playback Podcast (h/t Heroic Hollywood), along with the cameos currently in the tank. We know Avengers: Endgame is set to mark Lee’s final cameo – how very apropos, given it signals the end of an era in itself – though it remains to be seen what Marvel Studios has planned for the post-2019 world.
Regardless, here’s what Feige said when asked about the legacy of Marvel’s ‘Main Man’:
I was there not for every one but for almost every cameo he’s ever shot going back to ‘X-Men.’ He was very special. I’ve never heard one story of somebody meeting Stan and not being overwhelmed with excitement. He never disappointed. In some ways I never thought this day would come. Kirk Douglas just turned 102. I thought Stan was going to be there. And in the same way it doesn’t seem like he’s gone. His influence will never go away.
And, frankly, you can’t argue with that. Feige is someone who worked with Stan Lee on numerous occasions, and is one of the many Hollywood producers who came forward with their personal anecdotes and stories about Lee soon after he passed in November.
On the other side of the lens, though, it’ll be the release of Captain Marvel that will signal Lee’s penultimate appearance on the big screen, and even now, we can’t help but feel bittersweet about the inevitable cameo. Meanwhile, Avengers: Endgame touches down on April 26th and faces the somewhat tricky task of closing the book on a 10-year legacy.
