Celebrity deaths are a tricky thing. Fans often feel like they know the public figure, and so their passing is felt by a huge number of people. Marvel Comics visionary Stan Lee is certainly no exception, as his creations have touched generations of dreamers. Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 95, and plenty have spoken up about what his work meant to them. But there is also the question of his future cameo appearances.
Stan Lee has appeared in almost every movie starring a Marvel character, and including the massive MCU. All eyes are on what will happen when Phase Three concludes with Avengers 4, which includes Lee's planned cameo. Luckily, co-director Joe Russo implicated that it was already in the can, previously saying:
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.
Well, this is certainly hopeful. While Avengers 4 won't hit theaters until May and had been doing some reshoots, it appears that Stan Lee's appearance was filmed alongside other Marvel cameos. As such, fans can likely expect to see Lee when Thanos returns in Avengers 4.
Joe Russo's comments come from a past interview with BBC Radio, where the director/writer spoke to the process of filming Stan Lee's myriad iconic cameos. Moviegoers have always looked forward to seeing the Marvel icon's small role in each blockbuster, and his acting credits never disappoint. So as Avengers 4 will end the MCU as we know it, it's fitting that Stan Lee's role will reportedly be present.
Of course, Marvel has not come out with a public statement in the wake of Stan Lee's death, so this is far from an actual confirmation. Still, The Russo Brothers and Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole often think ahead, and the bulk of Avengers 4's filming was done as Infinity War was also filmed in Atlanta. So it's conceivable that the last few Stan Lee cameos were all filmed at once.
Unfortunately, not every Marvel movie will be lucky enough to have Stan Lee in a cameo role. A report by EW indicates that Lee was unable to film his role in Dark Phoenix before his death. This will break new ground for the X-Men franchise, as Lee's cameos went back to the original 2000 film.
CinemaBlend salutes Stan Lee in the wake of his death, and the countless fans he inspired in his long life.
The next MCU movie will be Captain Marvel on March 8th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
