Spoiler Warning: If you don't want to get spoiled on a very specific part of Captain Marvel, come back after you've seen the film!
It's a Marvel tradition to include a cameo from comics legend Stan Lee. As the first MCU film to feature a Stan Lee cameo after his passing, Captain Marvel's was bound to feel special and that turned out to be especially true for Kevin Smith. The cameo features Lee reading the script for Mallrats, Smith's film in which Lee makes an appearance. The cameo hit Smith like a ton of bricks, and he took to social media to share what a "blubbering mess" he was.
For a little extra context, Mallrats is Kevin Smith's second film. It premiered in 1995 and featured two slackers who spend all their time in a New Jersey mall and try to win back their girlfriends, who are fed up with their juvenile attitudes. One of the slackers (played by Jason Lee) is obsessed with comics and superhero genitalia. In probably the most memorable moment in the film, Stan Lee appeared as himself to give Lee's character some much needed wisdom on relationships.
In Captain Marvel, Stan Lee can be found reading the script for Mallrats on a train, rehearsing his lines under his breath. It's a super fun moment that works perfectly in the '90s set movie. The moment was bound to make some fans teary-eyed considering Lee passed away last year, but Kevin Smith might have had the most significant reaction.
The filmmaker took to Twitter to share his reaction to seeing his work referenced in a Marvel movie and by Stan Lee no less. Kevin Smith said that he was a "blubbering mess" with a photograph to prove it. The filmmaker also wrote that "after a lifetime spent referencing the movies, the movies just referenced me!" It's a pretty great way to have your work referenced and it no doubt means a lot to Smith.
Kevin Smith also asked, since he's now officially part of the MCU, did he survive Thanos' famous snap? Well, he's got a 50-50 shot at least!
Of course, this wasn't the only way that Marvel Studios paid homage to the co-creator of its iconic superheroes. The opening Marvel Studios logo replaced the Avengers with Stan Lee and all of his cameo appearances. It was the perfect way to respect Lee. The Marvel legend had filmed a few of his cameos before he passed, so we have at least one more to look forward to in Avengers: Endgame in a few short months.
You can catch Stan Lee and his wonderful cameo in Captain Marvel, which is out in theaters right now. For everything else in theaters, check out our 2019 movie release guide.
