Perhaps there aren’t two people in Hollywood that have been as affected by the contributions of legendary comic book writer Stan Lee than Disney CEO Bob Iger and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. So, it makes a lot of sense that those two would be among the first to explain how incredible the writer was, and how influential he continues to be, on the day of Lee’s passing.
Iger, who oversaw the $4 billion purchase of Marvel, has reaped the rewards of the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was built on the back of characters co-created by Lee. And for Feige, the superstar producer’s early career featured Fox-produced “X-Men” films before transitioning to his hugely powerful role as the overseer of Disney’s Marvel films, which again are based on characters developed by the writer.
READ MORE: Marvel Comics Legend Stan Lee Dies At 95
“Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created, said Iger in a statement (via Deadline). “A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart.”
“No one has had more of an impact on my career and everything we do at Marvel Studios than Stan Lee,” said Feige. “Stan leaves an extraordinary legacy that will outlive us all. Our thoughts are with his daughter, his family, and the millions of fans who have been forever touched by Stan’s genius, charisma and heart. Excelsior!”
As mentioned earlier today, with the news of Lee’s death, we assumed that the comic book writer had already filmed a few cameos for upcoming Marvel films. And Comicbook.com recently dug through old interviews with “Avengers: Infinity War” co-director Joe Russo, who told BBC that Lee had already filmed his “Avengers 4” cameo.
“He’s the godfather of a lot of these stories, him and Jack Kirby,” Joe Russo said “…So, Stan, typically we try to get him out — he doesn’t love to fly — so we try to get him out for his cameos around the same time. So if we have other movies shooting on the same lot that we’re on, for instance, ‘Ant-Man [and the Wasp’] or ‘Avengers 4,’ we group his cameos together and then move him from one set to the next and get him through his cameos in one day.”
So even though Lee has passed, fans are expected to have at least one more cameo in 2019. And with the news of his death, odds are there won’t be a dry eye in the house when he shows up on screen.