60. That’s how many unforgettable cameos the legendary Stan Lee blessed us with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His absence was deeply felt when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 rolled around, as it would have marked his 61st cameo had he still been with us.
James Gunn, the director of all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, shared this bittersweet revelation during the director’s commentary for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, stating:
I originally wrote Lambshank, the character I played, for Stan Lee. Because I wrote the movie before Stan passed on, and I also knew he was getting much older, and it would be hard to bring him to Atlanta to shoot, so I did a character that I could just animate and then have him do the voice and have a little Stan Lee-like face on the character, but unfortunately, Stan passed, who I really enjoyed working with and directing so many times over these movies.
For those whose memory might be hazy, Lambshank is a creature who was created and imprisoned by High Evolutionary in Arete Laboratories. Her most memorable moment in the film comes when Mantis frees her, but startled by her appearance, she screams in terror but quickly apologizes, clarifying: “I was screaming at something scary behind you, not you. You look really cool…”
Considering Vol. 3 began development in 2017 and Gunn had completed the first draft of his script by June, it makes sense that Stan Lee had a cameo role written for him in the film. However, things took a twist when Disney controversially fired Gunn in July 2018.
Although he was eventually rehired in 2019, Gunn had already committed to projects like DC’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, and more importantly, Stan Lee had already passed away in November of the previous year.
Marvel Studios currently has a 20-year deal with Stan Lee that grants the studio the rights to use his likeness in films, shows, and theme parks. The agreement specifies that it should be done tastefully, respectfully, and in line with who he was.
This begs the question: will we see more Stan Lee cameos in the future? It’s difficult to say for now. With advancements in visual effects, including de-aging technology, there’s a possibility that Marvel might use these techniques to bring Lee back to life in the MCU. However, the challenge lies in refining the de-aging process to make it indistinguishable from the real person (a criticism Disney faced with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny).
Nevertheless, with the multiverse now in play, Marvel Studios has the opportunity to bring back characters long gone and it could include Stan Lee. Whichever the case, Marvel fans will always appreciate the incredible legacy Stan Lee left behind. Excelsior!
