Marvel Celebrates Stan Lee In A Primetime TV Special Coming To ABC This Month
It's been over a year since Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee left this world for that great multiverse in the sky. Even though we won't see him popping up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe anymore, Marvel Studios isn't done celebrating the man responsible for creating and co-creating some of the most popular characters in the ever-expanding roster of comic book movies.
Disney has announced a new television special called Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee coming later this month that will pay tribute to the life and career of Stan Lee. Featuring archival interviews and rare, never-before-seen footage of Stan Lee over the years, as well as stars of Marvel Studios movies and TV shows sharing their memories of the man himself, the special will take fans on "an action-packed journey throughout the life of Lee and across the Marvel Universe." Find out more below.
Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee will air on Friday, December 20 at 8pm ET on ABC. The special was filmed in part in front of a live audience at The New Amsterdam Theater in New York City, and peppered throughout will be MCU stars like Tom Hiddleston, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Deborah Ann Woll, Clark Gregg, and Ming-Na Wen; die-hard fans and collaborators such as Mark Hamill, Kevin Smith, Method Man, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Seth Green, and Bob Iger; and fellow comic icons like Joe Quesada, Todd McFalrane, CB Cebulski, and Gerry Conway; and Marvel Cinematic Universe mastermind Kevin Feige.
Lee's career is full of iconic moments and achievements that have influenced pop culture for decades. As the co-creator of superheroes like Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, The Avengers, X-Men and Black Panther, Lee changed the face of comic books frequently and forever, and he always held a mirror up to society through these stories of the fantastic and amazing. That impact still resonates today thanks to the multi-billion dollar film franchises of Marvel Studios and the interconnected stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Joe Quesada, Executive Vice President, Creative Director of Marvel Entertainment, says:
"As a young man, Stan 'The Man' Lee always dreamed of writing, going on to create some of the greatest heroes of our modern times. Stan showed each of us how to be a hero in our everyday lives, and the stories he wrote will go on to influence generations of fans for decades to come. We can't wait for all you True Believers out there to see this special to honor and celebrate Stan's incredible life and all the lives he has touched."
It would have been awesome to have more stars of the MCU appearing in this special, but I suppose it's always possible for them to appear in previously recorded interviews from past promotion tours. Either way, this will serve as a fitting tribute to the man who helped shape entertainment as we know it.