By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)
The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.
Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments.
• The Cameo•
MOMENT# 36
MOVIE: Iron Man thru Avengers: Endgame
DIRECTORS: various
WRITERS: various
Captain Marvel’s opening title card in tribute to Stan Lee
Probably one of the most enjoyable parts of seeing a Marvel Cinematic Universe film was seeing what kind of Stan Lee cameo would show up. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, Lee was a consistent figure in the lives of MCU fans. However, in November of 2018, Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95. With his legacy cemented in the halls of history, there was nothing more the great man could bestow on the world, and in March of 2019, Captain Marvel surprised audiences with a touching tribute.
The Marvel Studios logo has changed a lot over the years. Different composers from Brian Tyler to Michael Giacchino would even compose new fanfare whenever it changed. Captain Marvel opens with the same title card, but this time it packed a bigger emotional punch. Normally clips of previous MCU films would play as the words revealed the Marvel Studios logo, but this time it was every single Stan Lee cameo
Stan Lee in Captain America: Civl War
Since Marvel Studios knew how important the cameos had become, they were almost a signature moment in each film. They would often bend over backward to make sure he didn’t miss one. One time, around the filming of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, director James Gun was hired to film multiple cameos to be inserted into upcoming films. The reason was simply that the rapid filming of the Marvel movies would surely become too difficult to keep up with for the aging celebrity. The cameos were too important to miss.
Marvel fans love to make a mountain out of a molehill (which isn’t a bad thing) and because of that, a popular fan theory began spreading like wildfire. As the MCU expanded into the cosmic realm, fans began to wonder if Stan Lee was meant to be Uatu, the Watcher. Since the Watcher only observed important moments, it seemed to make a certain amount of sense for long-time fans. The theory became so popular that Marvel Studios decided to make a version of it canon. For Lee’s cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he’s seen talking to various Watchers in a space suit and is credited as “Watcher informant”. That was one of the many times Marvel would go out of their way to make a fan theory canon. Uatu would be introduced in Phase 4 played by Jeffrey Wright.
Stan Lee as the “Watcher Informant” in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
With such a long legacy and a beloved figure, Marvel’s tribute to him in Captain Marvel hit all the right marks. It was exactly the kind of thing audiences needed to see after his passing. Now anyone who goes to watch Captain Marvel on physical media or Disney+ will always be reminded of the most famous cameo in cinema history. Lee’s cameos exist in the bubble of The Infinity Saga and are some of the most charming and humorous moments of each film. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, there’s just no denying how crucial his face was in defining the Infinity Saga.
