First things, first, RIP Stan Lee.
Lee passed in early November in Los Angeles at the age of 95.
However, he did finish filming a couple of his signature cameos before he passed away, such as in Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse and the recently released Captain Marvel.
However, the Captain Marvel cameo is making everybody's heads spin.
Why?
Because Stan Lee's cameo in the timeline of Captain Marvel's story means Stan Lee was playing himself.
How do we know this?
Well, according to Nerdist, the film takes place in 1995 and Lee is seen reading the script of Mallrats, the movie which came out in 1995. Lee actually had a cameo in that movie.
Usually Lee plays random side characters in the Marvel movies, but here, he is playing himself.
"What's the big deal?" you may ask.
Well, it comes from Mallrats.
Take a look:
Mallrats - Brodie Meets Stan Lee www.youtube.com
He identifies himself as the creators of the Hulk and Spider-Man who are supposed to exist in the same universe as Captain Marvel.
So then is Stan Lee some sort of Marvel Universe omnipresent god, who is writing Captain Marvel's story around her as she lives it?
Also, since Mallrats basically paints comic book nerds as emotionally stunted and incapable of basic social skills, what does it mean when the comic books they are obsessed with are real?
AHHH OUR BRAINS HURT.
Is Stan Lee still writing our reality around us right now? Why would he write a reality in which he is dead? What does this mean for all of us????
The Marvel Cinematic Universe really got us thinking about this.
So if you take away anything from this, it's that you too may be a Stan Lee creation.
Good for you.
