On November 12, 2018, the world lost Stan Lee. He was an incredible human being responsible for so many beloved superheroes of our childhood and adulthood — such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and many more. It’s comforting to know that Lee's legacy continues to live on even without his presence. This man, who initially didn't want to stay in the comics industry, changed the course of comics with how he told superhero stories and his creations have now gone on to inspire some of the biggest multimedia stories in history. People the world over know characters Stan Lee created, and likely know the man himself. In 2022 two of his creations, She-Hulk and Man-Thing, have recently joined the MCU. Even when he is gone he is still giving.
Update October 2022: This article has been updated with additional information on Lee's cameos as well as recent additions to the MCU.
Lee is no stranger to cameo appearances in movie adaptations of his Marvel comic book characters. Prior to the MCU, Lee had, in fact, popped up in nearly every Marvel movie franchise, from X-Men to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. The sheer popularity of the MCU, however, and the creative ways it featured Lee's cameos effectively cemented Lee's appearances as one of the most exciting elements of any given movie. He was a constant presence whose appearance would generate audience applause in some of the biggest movies in the world.
While Phase 4 has been filled with great movies and introduced so many wonderful new characters, Lee's absence can certainly be felt. Audiences miss his cameos, but even though he is gone he made 22 MCU appearances that audiences can always return to when they miss his presence. Reminisce about this creative titan with our ranking list of his best MCU cameo appearances.
22 Hugh Hefner Lookalike - Iron Man
In Iron Man, Tony Stark arrives at the benefit for the Firefighters’ Family Fund. Tony pats Stan Lee on the back and says: "Looking great, Heff!" as in Hugh Hefner, the creator of Playboy magazine. Lee is surrounded by women, which backs up the fact he plays a Hefner-lookalike. However, Lee is credited with playing himself. This is Lee's first MCU cameo.
21 Beauty Pageant - Iron Man 3
In Iron Man 3, Stan Lee appears as an enthusiastic beauty pageant judge. Of the three Iron Man movies, this is the only one in which Lee's cameo does not involve him playing, or being mistaken for, another celebrity. It is also one of his briefest cameos.
20 Mr. Smiles - Guardians of the Galaxy
In Guardians of the Galaxy, as Rocket scans the planet of Xandar with his device, he stops at Stan Lee himself, as he's talking to a woman. Rocket mentions him in connection with all that's wrong with the planet. The alien text that appears next to Stan Lee reads his catchphrase "Excelsior!" in the Skrull language.
19 A Bartender - Ant-Man
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A big majority of the Marvel audience would arguably pay to see Luis (Michael Peña) narrate all the MCU movies. It's even more entertaining when you combine Luis' incredible storytelling with Stan Lee's cameo as a bartender as part of the story in Ant-Man. He encourages Luis' cousin to go talk to a "crazy stupid fine woman."
18 A General - Captain America: The First Avenger
In Captain America: The First Avenger, Stan Lee appears as a general in the audience waiting to honor Captain America (Chris Evans). Although Lee did not create Captain America, he did reintroduce the character into Marvel Comics during the 60s, made him a member of the Avengers, and established the man-out-of-time angle of the character. Also, it is worth noting that Lee's first writing credit for Marvel was on a Captain America story in the 1940s.
17 Larry King - Iron Man 2
"Hey, it's Larry King!" and it's just Stan Lee in a red shirt, tie, and iconic suspenders. This is how Tony mistakenly greets Stan Lee as Larry King during the Stark Expo in Iron Man 2. It was the perfect pun to make, considering how truly similar their voices and appearances are. All it takes is to watch King's interview with Lee, and you'll see for yourselves.
16 A Mental Ward Patient - Thor: The Dark World
In Thor: The Dark World, Stan Lee is funnily credited as himself. He plays a patient in a mental ward who only wants his shoe back from Erik Selvig, who used it for his demonstration. Although many people think that this particular movie isn't among the best ones in the MCU, Lee's cameo is undeniably one of the good parts and shows how he can liven up any Marvel movie.
15 Neighbor Gary - Spider-Man: Homecoming
There's still an ongoing debate about who is the best Spider-Man actor. Even though it's hard to decide, Stan Lee, the creator of the character, said that Tom Holland is his favorite Spider-Man and exactly who he envisioned when he created Peter Parker. It's heartwarming to know that he got to appear in Spider-man: Homecoming as a cranky neighbor Gary, calling Peter a punk. This would be the only cameo Lee makes during Holland's Spider-Man trilogy, as he passed away before he could film a cameo for Spider-Man: Far From Home.
14 A Hapless Citizen - The Incredible Hulk
Even though Edward Norton gets replaced as Hulk in the MCU by Mark Ruffalo later on, The Incredible Hulk is still considered part of the MCU franchise and with the returns of Thunderbolt Ross, Abomination, and the recently confirmed return of Samuel Sterns aka The Leader it is now a vital part. Stan Lee appears in this movie drinking a soda with a bit of Hulk blood in it. He gets a bigger kick out of it than he initially wanted. While it is implied his character suffered gamma poisoning, as shown in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law the gamma-infused drink may have left a Hulk-like Stan Lee wandering around the MCU.
13 An Interviewee - The Avengers
Stan Lee appears in a news report after the Battle of New York in The Avengers and expresses disbelief in superheroes. Right after he voices his disbelief, he returns to playing chess in the park. There's something hilarious about Lee rejecting the idea of superheroes when he created most of them.
Also worth noting is this was not Lee's original cameo. He had filmed a scene where he was supposed to tease Captain America for not asking a waitress out on a date, but the scene was cut. It can be viewed in the deleted scenes of the movie.
12 Casino Patron - Black Panther
Stan Lee also got to play a high-rolling gambler at a speedy casino in Black Panther. Once T'Challa leaves the table to take care of more important business, Lee takes his unclaimed tokens for his own game. In the end credits, Lee's listed as "The Thirsty Gambler." Lee sadly did not get to live to see Black Panther, a movie based on a character he created, be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but he sure would have been proud.
11 An Astronaut - The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2
Stan Lee filmed his cameos for Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming all on the same day. Lee somehow appears in space, hanging out with the Watchers and boring them with his stories until they decide to leave him there. James Gunn confirmed that the idea to include Lee as a Watcher informant was inspired by a fan theory fans had for years that Lee's cameos were a hint at him being a Watcher.
10 A Subway Passenger - Captain Marvel
Lee makes a posthumous appearance in Captain Marvel, reading his lines in the script to Kevin Smith's Mallrats while riding on the subway. He simply just smiles at Carol (played by Brie Larson), but it being after his passing makes it all that more special. Captain Marvel was the first MCU film released following Lee's death and the opening credits of the movie pay homage to the mastermind himself by including all of his cameo appearances in the Marvel Studios logo. It was a fitting tribute to a legendary icon and for opening night crowds generated the biggest cheer and probably a few tears.
9 A Bus Driver - Avengers: Infinity War
Stan Lee's cameo in Infinity War is one of those that make you laugh wholeheartedly. As Peter Parker feels his spidey senses heighten on the school bus, the bus driver played by Lee complains: "What's the matter with you kids, haven't you ever seen a spaceship before?" While none of Lee's cameos is the same person it is a funny comment that this man (and the citizens of this universe) have seen a lot over the years.
8 A Hippie - Avengers: Endgame
In Avengers: Endgame, the MCU granted us with yet another posthumous appearance of Stan Lee as a smiling, bushy-haired hippie with his beautiful digitally recreated wife Joan Boocock Lee in the 1970s, driving his car past the Army base and screaming "Make love, not war!" Both of their looks are based on their actual appearances in the 70s. It is fitting that Avengers: Endgame which was marked as an epic conclusion for the Infinity Saga would also include Lee's final cameo, making everything feel complete.
7 A Truck Driver - Thor
When Mjolnir appeared on Earth in Thor, Stan Lee was one of those who tried moving it but didn't succeed by hitching it to the back of his truck, to which the hammer rips off the bumper of his truck. It's disappointing that the producers have never included a cameo of Stan Lee casually picking up the hammer as if it wasn't a big deal. All of us collectively agree that he was worthy of it.
6 World War II Veteran - Avengers: Age of Ultron
This cameo was originally supposed to be in the post or mid-credit scenes. Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) drinks his own Asgardian liquor at an Avengers' victory party in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and claims that no mortal can handle it. Stan Lee enters the scene declaring that he can handle it. We can later see him being escorted off of the party, saying his catchphrase "Excelsior." The WWII Signal Corps vet hat that he wears is one that he was a member of in real life.
5 Security Guy - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America steals his own WWII costume from the Smithsonian Institution in The Winter Soldier and Stan Lee as a security guard, who was supposed to keep an eye on it, is "so fired." We, as an audience, can sincerely agree that we miss the "that's him!" noises every time Lee popped up on the screen in theaters.
4 A Bus Rider - Doctor Strange
From bus driver to bus passenger. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created the character of Doctor Strange based on the appearance of the actor Vincent Price. 53 years later, he got to personally make a cameo in the movie as a bus rider reading Aldous Huxley's The Doors Of Perception, totally oblivious to the fights happening outside.
3 Grandmaster's Servant - Thor: Ragnarok
In Thor: Ragnarok, Stan Lee plays an intergalactic barber who gets to be the one to cut Thor's significant long hair before he has to fight Hulk for the entertainment of others. Thor: Ragnarok is arguably one of the funniest MCU movies ever made and Lee fits perfectly into the comedic tone.