Captain Marvel features a Stan Lee cameo and a moving tribute

8 March 2019, 16:15

Sam  Prance

By Sam Prance

Stan Lee takes centre stage in Captain Marvel's opening credits...

It's finally here. Captain Marvel is officially out in cinemas worldwide and we couldn't be more excited. Not only does the film give us our first glimpse of Captain Marvel the superhero (Brie Larson is spectacular), but it also hints at what's still to come in Avengers: Endgame (all the info on those post credit scenes here). That's not all though. The new MCU movie also pays tribute to the great Stan Lee.

After Stan Lee passed away last year, fans wondered if and how the Marvel Cinematic Universe would pay tribute to him in their new films. The Marvel comics writer, who co-created characters including the likes of Spider-Man, the X-Men and Black Panther, was loved by so many Marvel fans around the world and often made surprise cameos in Marvel films.

How does Captain Marvel pay tribute to Stan Lee? Does he cameo in it?

Captain Marvel: Stan Lee cameo and credits tribute explained
Captain Marvel: Stan Lee cameo and credits tribute explained. Picture: Marvel // Disney // Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

In Captain Marvel, the MCU recreate their opening credits to pay tribute to Stan. The credits are renowned for featuring most of the main superheroes from the films and comics (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man to name a few) but now Marvel has replaced the usual clips with footage, photos and illustrations of Stan Lee himself that build into the Marvel Studios logo. It's a beautiful tribute.

The MCU then follow up the opening credits with a fade to black and the simple but effective phrase: "THANK YOU STAN". On top of that, Stan also makes a cameo appearance as a stranger who smiles at Captain Marvel on the L.A. Metro before she infamously punches that old lady (well, a Skrull, really) from the trailer. Unsurprisingly fans are emotional.

Here are just a few of the reactions.

As it stands, it's currently unclear if the MCU will pay tribute to Stan with the same opening credits in Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, it has been confirmed that Stan will cameo in Avengers 4. We can't wait to see how he features.