Stan Lee, the man responsible for creating many of our favorite comic book characters like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Daredevil, and many more, has passed away at the age of 95 this morning. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California after being rushed there in a medical emergency.
His death was met with a wave of tributes, including from his friends and stars at Marvel; Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and many more.
You were a man before your time... now it feels like you are gone before your time. RIP Stan the Man... thanks for the laughs and words of support. It’s a honor to live in your universe! #MarvelKnight pic.twitter.com/1TXdPqUB3x
— Anthony Mackie (@AnthonyMackie) November 12, 2018
Stan Lee created a universe where, if a character was beloved enough, they could never really die.
— Joss Whedon (@joss) November 12, 2018
Now THAT’S thinking ahead.
Thanks for so much of my life. You’ll never not be in it.
Today we lost one of the greats. @TheRealStanLee, you were a inspiration and superhero to us all. Thank you for contributing so much- and giving us all something to aspire to! ?
— Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) November 12, 2018
#ripstanlee pic.twitter.com/GzFhwgU0WA
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.
— DC (@DCComics) November 12, 2018
Damn... RIP Stan. Thanks for everything. pic.twitter.com/TMAaDJSOhh
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) November 12, 2018
His contribution to Pop Culture was revolutionary & cannot be overstated. He was everything you hoped he would be & MORE. I loved this man & will never stop missing him. They say you should never meet a childhood idol. They are wrong. #RIPStanTheMan pic.twitter.com/6OKH07ahJg
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) November 12, 2018
Thank you for filling our childhoods with such joy. You will be dearly, dearly missed... pic.twitter.com/Qt2sZqaNlc
— Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) November 12, 2018
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige spoke with Variety about his thoughts of Stan Lee’s passing. He said that the “amazing thing to be thankful for is that Stan got to see it all happen,” referring to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the massive franchise that adapted many of Stan Lee’s works.
Somewhere else in the interview, Feige also said that one of the key to Stan Lee’s enduring cultural relevance were his brief cameos in every Marvel movie. A 2017 report revealed that the comic legend had recorded several cameos back-to-back, to be used in several future films. Feige confirmed this by saying “I’m not going to tell you what specifically but Stan always appreciated a good surprise.”