It’s now been one month since the news broke that Stan Lee had passed away, and with two movies featuring posthumous cameos from the late comic book creator coming out this week, fans are likely in for a bittersweet experience. We’ve already heard about the writer’s poignant appearance in the upcoming Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but now it seems that Once Upon a Deadpool has provided a touching tribute of its own.
Though the original, R-rated cut of Deadpool 2 didn’t include Lee in person, the film did show his face in graffiti in the background of the flick’s X-Force sequence. In the PG-13 re-release, that image has been updated to include the letters “R.I.P.” in remembrance of the man.
The bigger tribute, however, is saved for the post-credits. While the film’s bonus clips are largely reserved for further antics from Fred Savage and the Merc with a Mouth, the final segment consists of a series of outtakes from Lee’s cameo in the Deadpool 2 teaser that showed before Logan, followed by an excerpt from an interview in which the late legend talks about how humbled he is by his success, and how he doesn’t care what happens after his death.
As the first Marvel adaptation to reach cinemas since Lee’s passing, it’s only right that Ryan Reynolds and the team behind Once Upon a Deadpool would want to include something special to remember the man who helped make Marvel what it is today. And while a lot of people still aren’t sold on the idea of reworking Deadpool 2 for a younger audience, this Lee tribute is surely one alteration that we can all get on board with.