As the release of Aquaman draws near, Jason Momoa has taken a moment to pay tribute to the late Stan Lee, a man whose influence goes well beyond the Marvel universe he helped create.
The Hawaiian actor known for Justice League and Game of Thrones took to Instagram with a video of the time he met the legendary comic book writer, along with a caption reflecting on the experience:
“I was so excited to meet him. What a beautiful man. Prayers to his Ohana. RIP legend aloha j”
Though Momoa belongs to the DCEU camp these days, the star has never been one to let the franchise’s rivalry with Marvel get in the way of meeting his comic book movie contemporaries, with the actor sharing a video of himself and Avengers regular Mark Ruffalo just last month. Meanwhile, DC newcomer Dwayne Johnson has also paid his respects via Instagram, and the company’s own Twitter account has issued a statement acknowledging the mark that Lee left on the superhero genre:
“He changed the way we look at heroes, and modern comics will always bear his indelible mark. His infectious enthusiasm reminded us why we all fell in love with these stories in the first place. Excelsior, Stan.”
Naturally, we’ve also seen an abundance of tributes from the Marvel Comics stars, with Ruffalo himself tweeting that Lee’s work “let us be extra human… superhuman even,” while Hugh Jackman said he was “proud to have been a small part of his legacy.” Even Mark Hamill shared a few thoughts on the late writer, claiming that his “contribution to Pop Culture was revolutionary & cannot be overstated.”
That both DC and Star Wars are currently making moves to recreate the success of Marvel’s cinematic universe model is a testament to ways in which Stan Lee’s legacy continues to evolve and expand beyond his own brand. Though the man himself may no longer be with us, it’s clear that his influence is here to stay.