Stan Lee: 13 Notable Cameo Appearances
“Face front, True Believers!”
In 2018, the world lost Stan Lee. It can be said that without Stan Lee, there would be no Marvel Comics—amazingly, he was responsible for creating or co-creating lots of popular superheroes, including Spider-Man, She-Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers, and so many more.
In the decades since his comics work, part of his impact on the Marvel universe—and, in fact, all of pop culture—included his dozens of cameo appearances in related movies, TV shows, comics and games. These included lots of appearances in official Marvel projects plus way more.
To celebrate his 100th birthday on December 28, 2022, Monster Complex has put together a list of our favorite cameos. While there are lists online that include all his appearances, we thought it would be more fun to focus on the best ones.
Below is a list of the 13 most important and/or most fun appearances—only some of which are Marvel productions. We've also grabbed videos (when available) so you can watch and enjoy.
Whar are YOUR favorite Stan Lee appearances? Let us know below!
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Stan Lee: 13 Notable Cameo Appearances
Trial of Incredible Hulk (1989)
The Simpsons (2002)
Fantastic Four (2005)
Spider-Man (2002)
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
LEGO games
Wreck-it Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel (2013)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Stan Lee: 13 Notable Cameo Appearances
The Trial of Incredible Hulk (1989)
Stan Lee’s first on-camera cameo appearance took place during the TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989), one of the follow-ups to the 1978-1982 TV series The Incredible Hulk starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. The movie, which was directed by star Bixby, included the TV debut of fellow Marvel Comics character Daredevil (played by Rex Smith), who teamed up with the Hulk to beat the “Kingpin” Wilson Fisk (played by John Rhys-Davies).
The movie was apparently planned as a backdoor TV pilot for a Daredevil series—which, of course, didn’t happen. (At least, not this time.)
For Lee’s cameo in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, he didn’t have a speaking part—he was a jury member sitting in court during a dream sequence about the Hulk’s trial. “I was the foreman of the jury sitting in the jury box,” Stan told the Television Academy. “And in one scene, the Hulk gets angry and he reaches down and he lifts up the whole jury box with all 12 jurors.”
As Stan explained, the box was lifted about two feet and some of the jurors jumped out of the box. Stan wanted to jump out too, but the director said a stunt double had to do it for him.
“I was in the jury box and having a great time with my little cameo,” Stan said. “I said, ‘It’s two feet, I could step out.’”
But the director said the two-feet jump was still considered a stunt—which required a stuntman.
“I was so angry,” Stan said. “[It was] my big chance and I couldn’t even jump two feet.”
By the way, the reason I posted both videos below is because it didn’t occur to either YouTuber to post the whole scene. (Bleh.)
The Simpsons, “I Am Furious (Yellow)” (2002)
One of Stan Lee’s more unique cameo appearances took place during The Simpsons 2002 episode “I Am Furious (Yellow)” (episode 13.18). The episode saw Bart create a comic book based on his father Homer’s anger problems. When he goes to the Comic Book Guy for advice, Stan shows up and offers some questionable advice.
Stan talked about his cameo appearance for John Ortved’s book The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. He said that when he met the writers of the show, he was pleasantly surprised to find them familiar with his work. Stan would later guest star on the show again as himself in episodes “Married to the Blob” and “The Caper Chase.”
Fantastic Four (2005)
In 2005 movie Fantastic Four directed by Tim Story, Stan appeared as mailman Willie Lumpkin. Although Stan appeared in lots of projects based on Marvel Comics, this was an appearance (maybe the only one) as a specific character from the comic books.
Willie Lumpkin first appeared in a 1959-61 comic strip created by Stan and artist Dan DeCarlo. In 1963, Stan and artist Jack Kirby then brought a version of Willie Lumpkin as a mailman into comic book Fantastic Four #11. Making a delivery at the FF’s headquarters at the Baxter Building in New York City, he joked that he should join the team because he could wiggle his ears.
Over the years, Lumpkin made appearances in a number of stories with the team. For example, I was recently reading a bunch of old issues of the Fantastic Four and found a 1974 story in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2 where Lumpkin had stumbled across Doctor Doom’s time travel machine and accidently changed history—and the Four had to go back in time and fix it.
The mail carrier even starred in his own solo story in Marvel Comics Presents #18 (1989). In this parody of A Christmas Carol, Lumpkin is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, who had intended to haunt Spider-Man nemesis J. Jonah Jameson but lost his address. Related: 10 Sci-Fi Versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’
Spider-Man (2002)
The 2002 classic superhero movie Spider-Man starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker—who, when Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, gets uncanny abilities and becomes Spider-Man. He must rise up to the challenge of beating the Green Goblin.
Directed by Sam Raimi, the film also starred Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben and Rosemary Harris as Aunt May.
Stan Lee was also onscreen: When Green Goblin bombs a balcony, Stan saves a young girl from falling wreckage…
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
The 2016 movie X-Men: Apocalypse introduced the immortal Apocalypse as the first and most powerful mutant. Awakening after thousands of years, he recruits the disheartened Magneto and other mutants to create a new world order. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Professor X and Raven lead a team of young X-Men to stop their seemingly invincible nemesis from destroying mankind. Directed by Bryan Singer and written by Simon Kinberg, the movie starred Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and more.
Also on screen was Stan Lee—and his wife, Joan. At San Diego Comic-Con, Stan told the audience that his appearance in X-Men: Apocalypse might be his favorite cameo ever because it included “one additional thing in it.” It turned out that the “additional thing” was his wife of 69 years.
While Stan Lee had a huge list of media cameos, this was Joan’s first time on screen. However, it wasn’t her first work for Marvel media—she had voiced the character Madame Web in Spider-Man: The Animated Series and played Miss Forbes on Fantastic Four: The Animated Series.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
In the amazing 2018 animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Brooklyn teen Miles Morales is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes the new Spider-Man of his universe. Through the course of his first adventure, he fights the forces of Kingpin—and teams up with multiverse versions of Spider-Man, including an older Spider-Man, plus Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker and Spider-Ham.
Miles also met a version of Stan Lee, the owner of Stan’s Collectibles, who sells Miles a Spider-Man costume. At the register, Miles hands over the costume to Stan, who looks at the Spider-Man costume and remarks, “I’m going to miss him….We were friends, you know.”
Miles asks Stan if he can bring back the costume if it doesn’t fit. Stan says “It always fits—eventually.”
Then Miles notices the sign behind Stan that reads: No returns or refunds ever!
Stan’s cameo in Into the Spider-Verse hit theaters a short time after he died.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes games
Stan Lee is a playable character in in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, LEGO Marvel's Avengers, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. Depending on where you are in the game, he can be a Minifigure (as Stan Lee) and a Big Figure (as Excelsior Hulk). His playable character’s abilities—borrowed from many of the super-powered characters—include heat vision, wall-crawling, “magnetokinesis,” mind control, webbing generation, super senses and telekinesis.
By the way, LEGO lists as his “debut” the very first time he appeared in a comic book, which was Fantastic Four #10 (January 1963). So—as Stan Lee’s VERY FIRST CAMEO—let me tell you that this issue came during Stan Lee’s and Jack Kirby’s legendary run as the FF creative team. They appear on panel in a scene where we see writer Stan and artist/co-plotter Kirby working on the book, and then Doctor Doom appears and demands they lure Reed Richards to a trap. (In a funny touch, we never actually see Stan’s or Jack’s faces.)
Wreck-it-Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Stan Lee made a posthumous cameo in Ralph Breaks the Internet alongside Iron Man. (With, in fact, a possible reference to Avengers: Endgame, which would be released 5 months later.)
The 2018 animated film Ralph Breaks the Internet was the sequel to the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph. Video game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz must enter the Internet to find a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game Sugar Rush. That world is even more confusing than they expected, so Ralph and Vanellope have to lean on citizens of the Internet to help them find their way. The movie starred the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina and Ed O’Neill.
Wreck-It Ralph 2 had lots of fun cameos and Easter Eggs—including the surprise appearance of Stan Lee. In one chase scene that involves a whole library of Disney-owned characters—ranging from Stormtroopers out of Star Wars to a bunch of Disney princesses—Vanellope races past an online avatar who is Stan Lee! He didn’t say a word but was interacting with Iron Man, who Stan co-created in 1963 for Marvel Comics. In the background you can see the number “3000”—was that a prediction of the phrase “I love you 3000” coming up in the next Avengers movie?
Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
The second movie featuring Fox’s version of the Fantastic Four, the 2007 movie Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer found Reed, Susan, Ben and Johnny face a powerful being from space who warns of Earth’s impending destruction. While the mysterious being wreaks havoc, the heroes must also prepare for the return of Doctor Doom—and prepare for a wedding. The movie starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans.
Stan Lee tried to get into the wedding—copying one of his comic book appearances: In 1965, Fantastic Four Annual #3 showed the wedding of FF members Reed Richards and Susan Storm. The comic’s writing/penciling team of Stan and Jack Kirby appeared on the pages trying to attend the wedding and being turned away at the door. Stan more or less redid that cameo for the wedding scene in in Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel (2013)
When Disney bought Marvel—the comics, the movies, everything—the creative people behind the fun Disney cartoon series Phineas and Ferb quickly put together a major crossover event. The Disney Channel special Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel teamed up inventive step-brothers Phineas and Ferb with Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk. (And Dr. Doofenshmirtz got together with Red Skull, Whiplash, Venom and M.O.D.O.K.).
Stan Lee copied his hot dog vendor role from 2000’s X-Men. Stan was really happy to see the crossover happen. “The idea of Marvel and Disney doing something together is just wonderful,” Stan told Entertainment Weekly. “Years ago, when I was at Marvel, my dream was to make Marvel the type of company that Disney is, and when Disney bought Marvel, I couldn’t believe it. I felt it was the best thing that could happen, and with cartoons like this, now I’m sure it’s the best thing that could happen.”
Captain Marvel (2019)
The 2019 MCU movie Captain Marvel follows an alien warrior stuck in the middle of an intergalactic battle between the Kree and the Skrulls. Set on Earth in 1995, she is plagued by memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, she tries to recover her past while harnessing her special powers to end the war.
Although Stan Lee had died by the time the movie came out, he had filmed several cameo appearances ahead of time. For Captain Marvel, he appeared as a train passenger during a chase scene.
Surprisingly, this time he was actually playing himself: Stan is seated on the train reading the script for the 1995 comedy Mallrats. Since he was in that movie, the Captain Marvel cameo saw him rehearsing one of his actual lines from Mallrats, “Trust me, true believer.”
By the way, Mallrats was a cult movie from indie filmmaker Kevin Smith. As a comics fan, he has also written some Marvel comics, including a run on Daredevil for the imprint Marvel Knights.
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
In this DC Comics related animated movie, the members of the Teen Titans are jealous that all the other superheroes are being spotlighted at the movies. Robin wants to be a star instead of a sidekick.
When the Teen Titans go to Hollywood, things go crazy. They discover a supervillain who plans to take over the world…
Even though it is a superhero movie not from Marvel Comics but their Distinguished Competition, Stan Lee makes a delightful cameo appearance. What’s especially funny is when someone interrupts his appearance.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
When the Guardians are hired by a powerful alien race to guard valuable batteries, it turns out that Rocket stole what they were assigned to protect. While trying to escape from the alien ships, the Guardians learn the secret of Peter’s father—and it is a doozy.
Of course, Stan Lee made a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—but this one was special. For the first time, his previous appearances are mentioned—and it is suggested that maybe he was the same character each time. He is talking to the Watchers, the ancient race who watch everything happening in the universe (and occasionally meddle—although it is against the rules).
At the press conference for Guardians Vol. 2, MCU leader Kevin Feige said, “Stan Lee clearly exists above and apart from the reality of all the films. So the notion that he could be sitting there on a cosmic pit stop during the jump gate sequence in Guardians was something very fun.”
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