After Disney subsidiary, Marvel penned a deal with POW! Entertainment and Genius Brands, Stan Lee MCU cameos might make a comeback to the Marvel Studios productions. The late cartoonist, the godfather of the modern superhero and creator of Marvel Comics, passed away in 2018, leaving behind a vast entertainment empire. And his cameos in MCU movies were always a special iconic treat.
Marvel’s mastermind appeared in cameos in 22 movies. His last one featured a digitally enhanced posthumous version of him. After that, Marvel Studios chose not to feature the digital Lee anymore. Instead, he was honored in the Marvel logo and ended with a “thank you message” But as we will see, that policy will change again.
Disney Pens A Deal For Stan Lee MCU Cameos
Stan Lee’s MCU cameos could return using CGI and vintage footage thanks to a new partnership signed by Marvel, Genius Brands, and POW! Entertainment. The long-running comic book franchise was founded on several legendary contents created by Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
We’re talking about characters like Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. The films have also included Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and their most successful Marvel character, Spider-Man. According to Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spidey is now technically played by Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and Tom Holland within the MCU.
What Is The Stan Lee MCU Cameos Deal About?
Marvel, Pow! entertainment, and Genius Brands signed a two-decade-long deal that will let them use Lee’s image, voice, and resources in upcoming productions for film and television. The deal is so broad that it even extends to the use of the late cartoonist’s image in merchandise and Disney theme parks. Consequently, Stan Lee will return for cameos in the MCU in the not-so-distant future.
Digital Lee
Lee’s participation with the MCU extended beyond the use of his characters as the comic book creator became recognized for making cameo cameos in every MCU release and many other Marvel productions such as Sony’s Spider-Man films and Fox’s X-Men films.
Stan Lee died in 2018 at the age of 95. Before his death, he did appear in several films, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Endgame. While succeeding MCU movies and television shows have used posters and publications to include Lee in various locations, it looks the future may have a different approach.
It’s Cool, But Is It Ethical?
We’ve seen how Disney dealt in the past with posthumous images. They didn’t do so well with Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin for Star Wars. Still, Lee is a different ball game. We’re talking about a man’s whole identity. One thing is to watch Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre rap with Tupac Shakur at Coachella. Another thing is to have a man’s entire identity and personality taken as a market commodity for the profit of a soulless corporate giant like Disney.
Although Disney hasn’t confirmed what they’re planning to do with Stan Lee’s image and identity, the corporate intention is obvious: Market the hell out of it. Let’s face it. Business is business. And business as usual is always the same. Marvel is a cash cow for Disney. A company marred with conflict from corporate views from the cultural products that they produce and how the public reacts to them.
After Penning The Deal, Here Are Some Dates To Watch Out
Now that the deal is active, Lee belongs to Disney. So let’s put the magnifying glass on some of the upcoming big dates for Marvel Studios. Firstly, Thor: Love and Thunder drops on July 8, 2022. After that, we have Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, slated for release on November 11, 2022.
There are a few drops on Disney+, like She-Hulk on August 17, 2022. and then we have the 2023 movies, the likely productions to feature a digital re-enactment of Stan Lee’s posthumous image. These are Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on February 17, 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5, 2023, and The Marvels on July 28, 2023. Will we see Stan Lee there? And if so, how? Well, it’s up for grabs. That’s all the time we have now for Stan Lee and his return to the MCU at Otakukart. Thanks for your time, and please navigate to our main page to check out what else is going on with the entertainment. See you soon.
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