Three years after the passing of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, the world still feels the loss of his presence. The iconic co-creator of many superheroes, including the titular figure in the recent box office smash Spider-Man: No Way Home, Lee was a fixture in the MCU itself thanks to his regular and memorable cameos. On what would have been his 99th birthday, Marvel’s Mark Ruffalo posted a sweet tribute for the late icon’s birthday, throughout his social media presence.
Spotted on Mark Ruffalo’s Twitter feed, the current Hulk actor’s fond remembrance of Stan Lee says it all. Taking the time to commemorate the day itself, his message honoring the contributions of “Stan The Man” was short, but sweet. Here’s what Ruffalo had to say in honor of Mr. Lee’s recent birthday milestone:
Thinking of Stan Lee and everything he’s done for our extended Marvel family today. pic.twitter.com/wOaKysA1neDecember 28, 2021
With a personality that sparkled in his various appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee was larger than life like some of the figures he helped create. Most of those teams and characters have been brought back through cinematic origins and reboots in Kevin Feige’s MCU tenure, building the bedrock of the film juggernaut you see today. Though Lee’s influence will yet again be felt in the near future, as Jon Watts’ Fantastic Four, as well as the X-Men series, will soon be added to the MCU mythos.
Mark Ruffalo is certainly busy helping keep that particular torch lit himself, as his incarnation of Bruce Banner/The Hulk is about to make his streaming debut through the Tatiana Maslany-led She-Hulk series on Disney+. One of the many upcoming Ruffalo projects to keep your eyes peeled for, he’s been playing the role of the big green rage monster, and his human half, since 2012’s The Avengers. So luckily enough, Mr. Ruffalo entered the MCU at a time when Stan Lee was still active in participating in its genesis; which is probably part of why he’s shown such reverence to his memory.
As the man who helped keep the Marvel name relevant through thick and thin, Stan Lee left behind generations of fans and admirers after his passing. Mark Ruffalo’s kind words only say what each and every one of them have been thinking, especially in light of the record-breaking performance we’ve seen from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though he may not physically be present in the MCU, the spirit of Mr. Lee’s iconic personality will still live on.
Spider-Man: No Way Home continues to save the day at a theater near you! Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo’s latest appearance in the MCU can be found in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' mid-credits scene, and the movie is currently streaming on Disney+. Last, but not least, She-Hulk does not have a set premiere date, but is also looking to debut on that same streaming platform at some point in 2022.
