Stan Lee, the creator of countless iconic Marvel characters and face of Marvel movies for decades, lived his life almost entirely in the spotlight. A beacon of hope and light, with creations that have touched generations, he’s also been known for incredibly wholesome moments.
He was constantly in demand and a favorite at comic conventions, so here are some of the times Stan Lee was just too dang wholesome.
The most wholesome Stan Lee moments ever
1. Stan’s Soapbox
Lee was a prolific writer, who constantly took fan mail and addressed readers’ questions about his material. As Marvel delved more into social commentary with the likes of the X-Men and Black Panther, Lee spoke out against racism and bigotry. It may seem a bit naff nowadays, but 1968 was a tumultuous year that finally saw amendments to civil rights acts.
Lee’s worldly point of view is commendable, and even though Marvel had many missteps, it always seemed like Lee had a clear view of equality.
2. Calling Michael Chiklis’s The Thing his favorite Marvel performance ever
The Fantastic Four films were mostly forgettable affairs with dodgy-looking suits and actors who didn’t seem like great fits for their roles. That is, except for Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm / The Thing. A performance that saw Chiklis encased in a Thing suit which took several hours to put on. Lee later recalled on a commentary track that it was his favorite ever performance in a Marvel movie.
3. Calling out racism in the 1960s
When civil rights were very much in the firing line (as they often seem to be), Stan Lee stood out by vocally supporting the rights of minority groups with a famous editor’s note appearing in a Marvel comic after a reader mail. Discussing what was then seen as sinister cultural engineering to have a black main character, Lee stated that comic books have the potential and the platform to cause positive change in the world.
4. His Captain Marvel cameo
2019 saw the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film with a female lead as audiences met Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel. While the heroine is searching for a shapeshifting Skrull on a Californian train, she happens onto none other than Stan Lee. Reading his script for a cameo in Mallrats, Danvers is immediately able to realize he’s no shapeshifter, but a kind old man, and gives him a smile.
5. Mallrats cameo
After mentioning it, you can’t not talk about it. Lee appearing as himself in Kevin Smith’s iconic 90s flick is one of his undoubted career highlights. More than happy to be the butt of a joke or deliver a zinger himself, it’s a shame he won’t be part of Mallrats 2.
6. Stan’s Rants
Lee used to run a YouTube channel filled with various bits and pieces from his storied life, but perhaps its best contribution to culture was his Stan’s Rants series. Sitting at his desk surrounded by Marvel memorabilia, Lee would just rant and rave about whatever topic he felt like over the course of 90 seconds. Some highlights include how pole dancing isn’t in the Olympics, and comic books being for kids.
7. His love for all his characters
Lee co-created hundreds of characters in the Marvel universe including some of the biggest names like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man, The Hulk… pretty much everyone. But whenever questioned on any of his characters, he spoke with the greatest respect for them and acknowledged them all as his children.