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5. X-Men (2000)
While this may not be the best Stan Lee cameo, it is the first. Oddly enough, if you think about it, this cameo’s place on the list fits the mold of most superhero origin films – it’s a fun watch, but the depth isn’t quite there. It does just enough to make you want more. Stan as a boardwalk hot dog vendor captures this desire.
4. Spider-Man (2002)
Here we get to see Stan as a hero. The Green Goblin attacks, blows up a balcony, and puts a little girl in danger? Who makes the save? That’s right! Stan Lee! Sure, Spidey comes in for an assist, but we all know Stan was just fine. Honorable mention goes to Spider-Man 2 (2004) where Stan plays the hero again; this time during a Spidey/Doc Ock battle.
3. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
To put it bluntly, Spider-Man 3 was a big disappointment. But Stan Lee saved it slightly by offering moviegoers the first appearance of one of his famous catchphrases – “’nuff said.” He does this in the middle of Times Square while talking to Peter Parker.
2. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
To be honest, choosing the break in between the Spider-Man sandwich was one of the hardest comic movie decisions I’ve ever made. Sadly, there’s some great stuff that I had to skip over when deciding the list’s order, like young Matt Murdock saving Stan from getting hit by a bus in Daredevil, or the double rainbow of cameos, 2003’s Hulk, when he and Lou Ferrigno walk out of the building talking about security. As good as those cameos were Stan’s turn in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer packs both humor and punch together. Reed and Sue are getting married at a rooftop scenario, when Stan tries to get into the wedding he says something to the effect of “I’m Stan Lee! I should be on the list!” It doesn’t work. Instead, he’s turned away by a security detail that doesn’t know who he is and in that one moment, the essence of why Stan Lee is in these movies becomes clear. Stan is the Man, and he’s a superhero in and of himself.
1. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
I promise you that when I started this list, I wasn’t planning on it being so Spidey-centric. It’s not my fault they save his best cameos for the Spidey franchise. In this reboot, Stan is an oblivious, yet hard-working librarian who works through the destruction of the library by The Lizard and Spidey.
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