All Stan Lee’s Non-‘Marvel’ Film Cameos, Ranked

For most, the name Stan Lee is synonymous with comic books and, more specifically, with Marvel. As co-creator of such iconic characters as Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, and Hulk, to name but a few, Lee has gifted generations with a plethora of memorable illustrated tales and hours upon hours of entertaining film and television adaptations.

Since the explosion of the MCU, Stan Lee has also become known for his cameos. Though his cameos did not begin with the MCU, his Marvel appearances come to mind when the audience thinks of this topic. While Stan has a wide collection of cameos in his adapted works, many may not know that he can also be seen in films not connected to Marvel at all. These films provide varying degrees of memorable Lee moments but, most importantly, give the public more chances to see the legendary comic book writer in action.

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6) ‘Pizza Man’ (2011)

A low-budget superhero outing that got swept in the wake of bigger blockbusters of the time, this 2011 film stars actor turned race car driver Frankie Muniz as its titular Pizza Man. The plot follows Matt Burns (Muniz), a pizza delivery man who develops superhuman powers when he eats a genetically engineered tomato. He then gets forced into a plot involving a group of individuals wanting to acquire the superhero formula and must step up to save the day.

Appearing as himself, Stan Lee’s cameo in this film comes as one of the many surprise, superhero-themed cameos (another is iconic Batman actor Adam West). Stan is delightful as always, entertaining in his role as the last of a montage of pizza deliveries undertaken by Muniz’s Burns. Though not the most exciting cameo by Lee, the short conversation between the pair is still a memorable part of this film.

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5) ‘Madness in the Method’ (2019)

Playing a fictionalized version of himself, this cameo-ladened 2019 film marks the directorial debut of Jason Mewes. Finding it hard to get consideration for serious roles (due to his association with his “Jay” half of the Jay and Silent Bob pairing), he is convinced to read a book on method acting. As he takes the book’s advice, his life becomes increasingly complicated and out of control.

Sadly one of Stan Lee’s posthumous cameos, here he (like many in this film) plays a fictionalized version of himself. Appearing just under halfway into the film, Stan converses with a cop when a murdered body is discovered near his property. Humorously, he also insults Jason when questioned about him. This is one of the last times the audience would enjoy a Stan Lee cameo: it brings a certain poignancy to this appearance despite not being his most memorable one.

4) ‘The Ambulance’ (1990)

This 1990 film stars Eric Roberts as aspiring comic book artist John Baker, who is convinced a conspiracy is afoot when a girl he meets disappears after being rushed to hospital. As he begins to investigate, he draws the ire of seasoned officer Lt. Spencer (played by James Earl Jones).

Stan Lee has a more notable cameo in this film, playing himself as the boss of Roberts’ Baker. He graces the audience’s screens for a whole minute and a half. Stan is a kind yet realistic boss to the protagonist, and his joke about liking his girls out of hospital will make the audience smile. Additionally, the fact that Josh had been given a Doctor Strong comic to work on is a joyful tribute to various Marvel characters.

3) Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

An equally meta successor to the 2011 meta-comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, this 2019 film sees the titular duo (played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) road trip to Hollywood to disrupt the production of a reboot movie adapted from comic book characters based on the pair. Having lost their identities in a court battle with the studio, they hope that stopping the film’s completion will allow them to take back their names.

Appearing in a mid-credits scene, Stan Lee’s cameo here consists of archival footage of himself and Kevin Smith (a Marvel comic book writer himself) at Comic-Con. Credited as “My marvelous mentor,” the footage of the two has Smith mentioning the reboot and then acting out an impromptu scene with Lee. The footage will tug at the heartstrings of all Stan fans. Lee was due to have a more significant part in the film, though his death, unfortunately, preceded the start of filming. What might have been…

2) ‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’ (2004)

A sequel to 2001’s The Princess Diaries, this second outing sees main character Mia (Anne Hathaway) return to fictional Genovia in anticipation of her grandmother (Julie Andrews) abdicating her throne to her. Soon after arriving, Mia is shocked to discover that she will only be able to ascend to the throne if she is married within the next month.

A short, bizarre cameo that will make anyone who recognizes Stan Lee wonder how on Earth he came to appear in this film. In one of his few cameos not to be linked to superheroes or comics, Stan appears as a vaguely Latin aristocrat who learned his English by watching The Three Stooges. His accent isn’t the best, but watching him act again with everyone’s favorite nanny in Julie Andrews is perfect. His credit as the “Three Stooges Wedding Guest” is also great.

1) ‘Mallrats’ (1995)

A beloved cult classic from the mid-90s, Mallrats centers around friends T.S. (Jeremy London) and Brodie (Jason Lee), who go to the mall after their girlfriends dump them. They get up to various antics and try to take down a dating game competition so that T.S. can win back his girlfriend.

Once again, Stan Lee cameos as himself in this film. And with his appearance totaling just shy of a whopping four and a half minutes, this is truly one of the longest on-screen appearances that Stan has ever had. In his cameo, Stan gives Jason Lee’s (no relation) Brodie advice on the importance of love and not letting the girl he loves slip away. His scenes are poignant, and his correlations to his comics are well-thought-out. Lastly, the reveal that he was put up to this by T.S. and that he was rehashing a comic storyline of losing his true love is an excellent end to the cameo.

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