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Stan Lee is arguably one of the most renowned comic book writers of all time. Apart from creating hundreds of superheroes, which have become a part of pop culture over the years, Lee's ideas also gave birth to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), which has now become one of the most renowned and most viewed film franchises of all time (and, of course, one of the highest-earning).
Disney is all set to pay tribute to Stan Lee's greatness in the form of a Disney+ documentary released on June 16, 2023, on the platform. This documentary will trace the legacy of the famous comic book writer, who also made some of the quirkiest Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances in the history of the franchise. A 25-second teaser video for the documentary was also released earlier.
Of course, there were others like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko involved in the creation of some of the most famous Marvel characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk, among many others. Along with the others, Stan Lee co-created at least 300 Marvel characters. Moreover, Stan Lee contributed to the creation of as many as 1225 Marvel characters in total.
Stan Lee's legacy explored
Stanley Martin Lieber had an affinity for creativity and writing from a young age. In fact, he was hired as an editorial assistant for Timely Comics when he was only 16. In 1942, he was promoted to an editorial position. It was also at this time that he started using the pseudonym Stan Lee, which would go on to become his legal name and identity.
In the 1950s, Timely Comics, then known as Atlas, struggled financially. It was also the time when Stan Lee created some lesser-known comic gems like The Witness, The Destroyer, Jack Frost, Whizzer, and Black Marvel.
The big breakthrough came with The Fantastic Four, which Lee created with Jack Kirby. This hit comic was supplemented by another big hit a year later when Lee created Spider-Man with Steve Ditko. The trio, Lee, Kirby, and Ditko, soon started to collaborate and create an entire universe with the help of a method now known as the "Marvel method."
Their increasing roaster of great ideas and artworks gave rise to hundreds of superheroes and super teams, ranging from the Avengers to the X-Men, all of which slowly started becoming a part of the pop culture scenario. Lee's idea of using superhuman powers and human emotions became a defining factor in Marvel comics, which prospered around the world and started giving stiff competition to DC.
In 1972, Lee became the publisher and editorial director of the group. He worked for over 60 years to create the comic genius that has now been transcribed onto movie screens. Lee also participated in the MCU, giving some of the most memorable cameo performances in the history of cinema. In fact, Lee's appearances became a motif connecting different Marvel films together before they were joined in a shared universe.
He also wrote other books, including Origins of Marvel Comics, an insightful novel about the creation of heroes.
The Stan Lee documentary will premiere on June 15, 2023.
