It was a big week for Marvel fans. While no big blockbusters or Netflix shows have been released, it was the birthday of the grand pooh bah of Marvel comics: Stan Lee. Lee celebrated his whopping 95th Birthday, with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the various figureheads of the shared universe taking to social media to celebrate the groundbreaking creator. And while Lee seems all too happy with his success and the pending deal between Marvel and Fox, he's got a somewhat morbid perspective on fame. Namely, he believes that news outlets may have an obituary waiting around for him at any time. He recently shared this anecdote, saying:
When a celebrity dies, about 15 minutes later, the newspaper comes out and there are about three pages of write-ups about them, and you wonder how did they write it that fast? It's all there in advance. I'd love to think my obituary is on file somewhere. Then I'd know I made it. I don't want to see it too soon, but that's how I'd know I made it.
It looks like the legendary Marvel creator doesn't love the idea of someone having pre-written his obituary. But it's a double edged sword for Lee, who also believes you have to have reached a certain level of fame and success for these types of measure to be taken.
Stan Lee's comments to THR prove why he's continued to be such a pop culture icon this far into his illustrious career. In addition to crafting some of the most beloved heroes from Marvel's catalogue, he's also got a rare and specific perspective on the world. This type of self-aware take on society is no doubt how he managed to craft so many intriguing and heartfelt stories through the years, and why Marvel characters continue to captivate today.
The Marvel head's pop culture presence usually peaks around the time of each Marvel Studio blockbuster's release. Lee has made a cameo in nearly every Marvel movie, with fans keeping an eagle eye out during their first screenings for him to pop up. Fan theories have even gone viral about Lee's silver screen roles, as fans believe he's been actually playing the same character throughout all of his appearances. This theory was all but confirmed in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. And while the timeline is still a little funky, it seems he's been actually the same guy in each of his bonkers cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men franchise, and beyond.
We here at CinemaBlend would like to wish Stan Lee the happiest of birthdays, and continued health in the future. The next installment in the MCU is Ryan Coogler's Black Panther on February 16, 2018, hopefully including a cameo by Stan Lee.
