As a devoted fan of Stan Lee’s extraordinary career and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I find it nothing short of mesmerizing to delve into the tales behind his enchanting cameos. The anecdote of his appearance in Kevin Smith’s ’90s cult-comedy gem, Mallrats, is particularly fascinating.
Before the MCU turned Stan Lee’s cameos into a potential drinking game, the comic book legend made an unexpected appearance in Kevin Smith‘s beloved ’90s cult-comedy, Mallrats. While Lee was incredibly excited about appearing in the movie, he had one major demand from Kevin Smith before completely agreeing to the part.
In the movie, legendary creator Stan Lee makes a cameo, sharing an amusing and inspiring tale with Brodie (Jason Lee) about a past opportunity he missed. This scene is both funny and heartwarming, yet behind the scenes, Stan Lee expressed concern over potentially upsetting his real-life wife, Joan Lee. During an interview with GQ, director Kevin Smith shared their conversation regarding this cameo, mentioning that Stan Lee voiced his apprehension about it.
In a friendly manner, I said, “Hey, would you consider [the cameo]? It’d be great if you joined us. Here’s the idea: You’re in this movie delivering a heartfelt monologue about the woman who got away. If you’re portraying yourself talking about that, your wife might not let you back home. So, I propose we add an extra scene where you joke about it to make sure she doesn’t get upset.” I found his thoughtfulness endearing.
Although Kevin Smith didn’t label Stan Lee’s role as a “cameo,” given that Lee had numerous scenes in the movie, Mallrats significantly contributed to the emergence of the tradition of Lee appearing in comic book movies. Interestingly, among all the sensational superhero films Lee has been part of, he deemed Mallrats as one of his finest performances. In a 2017 Facebook post, Lee expressed, “My cameo in Mallrats remains one of my favorites! #KingofCameos
Kevin Smith Never Thought Stan Lee Would Appear in Mallrats
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In his imagination, Kevin Smith never expected comic book legend Stan Lee to star in his second film, “Mallrats.” Originally, a stand-in character was scripted to portray Lee in a scene with Brodie, but as it turns out, Smith managed to secure the actual appearance of Stan Lee for that role. This is based on Kevin Smith’s account of a conversation he had with producer Jim Jacks about making an effort to get Lee for the part.
The original version of Mallrats did not feature Stan Lee as a character initially. When reading the scene where Brodie met the guy who offered advice, Jim Jacks questioned who this comic book expert was supposed to be. He commented something like, “Who is this comic book sage meant to be?” To which I replied, “It would resemble Stan Lee, or something similar.” Jacks then suggested, “Why don’t you just make it Stan Lee?” My response was, “I don’t know Stan Lee.” But Jacks retorted, “Well, I do.” It was at that moment that I understood the inner workings of Hollywood – it seems everyone in the industry knows each other.
Stan Lee’s last appearance as a cameo actor was in Jason Mewes’ (known for playing Jay in Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse) movie “Madness in the Method” in 2019. Notably, within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where his cameos were most iconic, the legendary comic book creator made his final cameo in the blockbuster hit “Avengers: Endgame”, which concluded the extensive Infinity Saga.
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2024-10-05 19:31