Comic book legend and Marvel patriarch Stan Lee is beloved by many not only for his contributions to the world of fictional literature but for his fun cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well. Since the franchise's inception in 2008, Lee has managed to appear in all 22 films of the Infinity Saga, beginning with the original Iron Man film up to his posthumous appearance in Avengers: Endgame.
Following his passing in 2018, fans were curious to see if he was able to film a few more cameos but Spider-Man: Far From Home officially marked the end of an era.
Obviously, Lee will no longer be able to do cameos but that didn't stop The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean from attempting to have Lee cameo in the animated short The Good, The Bart, and The Loki which premiered last week following Loki's fifth episode. In a conversation with ComicBook, Jean revealed that he asked Marvel Studios if they can include a Stan Lee appearance in the film given the fact that he once made a cameo in The Simpsons.
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However, his request was denied as the studio has set a new rule regarding Lee's cameos. Out of respect, Marvel Studios has decided to end Lee's cameo run and that includes potential appearances in animated form. Jean reveals: "Only one time. It wasn't a joke. We just thought, 'Oh, we have Stan Lee audio from when he was on our show, could we cameo him in? And they said that their policy is he doesn't cameo now that he's passed away, which is a completely understandable policy. That was their only note and that was, of course, easily done."
He added: "And the Grogu note [for the Star Wars-themed short] made total sense, too. It was like, if you let everybody use Grogu in their stuff that wanted to, it would be all over. Believe me, I respect that these franchises have a great power beyond ours. I respect it."
Marvel films will never be the same without the presence of Stan Lee but his legacy will live on for more years to come. Now, despite his physical "absence", I'm pretty sure Marvel Studios will include easter eggs and references in their films every now and then to celebrate the life and accomplishments of arguably the most prolific comic book writer in history.
Meanwhile, Black Widow is already showing in cinemas and Disney+ via Premier Access.
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