Stan Lee: The King of Cameos

I was sad to have learned of Stan Lee’s passing. Though I was never much of a comic book fan, I have always admired his vision and creativity. I became a fan of Stan Lee when Marvel started bringing his characters to life on the big screen, all the way back to X-Men (2000). From that point on, I’ve always made a point to go and see whatever he created.

I remember seeing him for the first time when he appeared in Mallrats (1995) as himself. He had a memorable scene where he was giving Brody (Jason Lee) guidance about not letting love go. Being a comic book fan and Stan Lee idol, Brody takes his advice seriously. That was always one of my favorite scenes from that movie.

Now, I want to look back at his best cameos in the Marvel movies. Each one stands out on their own and makes a memorable mark in each film.

Hulk (2003)

Early on in the film, Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) (say that five times fast) walks by Stan and Lou Ferrigno, who are security guards leaving after their night shift ends. Lou listens as Stan talks about beefing up their security. This could be foreshadowing the fact that the Hulk may the answer he is looking for. This is one of the few good moments in an otherwise forgettable film.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Stan is denied admittance to the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. He even says his name is Stan Lee and is still turned away by the guard. Poor, Stan. I guess the guard was not a Marvel fan.

Iron Man (2008)

I laugh at this one every time I see it. Tony Stark (Rober Downey, Jr.) walks by Stan and pats his shoulder without really looking at him, and calling him Hef. Stan slowly turns to reveal that he is not Hugh Hefner, even though he is dressed like him.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Again, another case of mistaken identity. Stark greets many people in a short time span, and runs into Stan, but calls him Larry King. I guess that’s understandable because it looked like Stan and Larry King traded glasses that day.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Captain America is supposed to appear and receive a medal but is nowhere to be found. Someone rushes onstage to tell the emcee the news. Then we see Stan in the crowd as a general, or something. I love his line, “I thought he’d be taller.” Classic Stan!

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Stan is a librarian who is distracting himself from the monotony of his work with his headphones up full blast. Spider-Man and The Lizard are fighting in the background, with Stan completely oblivious to it. He almost met his maker when The Lizard throws a large piece of wall in Stan’s direction, but is intercepted by Spider-Man in the nick of time.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Stan must love playing security guards because he appears as one again in this one. He is making his rounds around the museum and comes across the Captain America exhibit, only to find Captain America’s uniform missing. Stan’s line is also classic during the discovery: “Oh, man. I am so fired.”

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

This one is my personal favorite. Near the end of this movie, Stan appears as a FedEx delivery man with a package for “Tony Stank.” The look on Tony Stark’s face is priceless, with Rhodie (Don Cheadle) enjoying every second of it. I think I may have laughed the loudest in the theater at that moment.

Rest in Peace, Stan (1922-2018)