40. Bus Passenger (Doctor Strange)
This is just the first of several oblivious Stan Lee performances. The question is though, is he unaware, or does his omnipotent film jumper delight in playing blind, deaf, and dumb? Frankly, public transportation is always a dangerous endeavor. It’s best to bury your head in a book and mind your own business. Lee is too lost in the wild concepts of Aldous Huxley’s “The Doors of Perception” to even notice the good Doctor (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) plummeting from the mirror dimension and collapsing atop his window. Who is to say whether their conflict is any more dire than the one Lee is battling within? – Brad Gullickson
39. Not Larry King (Iron Man 2)
Stan Lee can’t catch a break in the Iron Man films. Mistaken for Hef in the first one, casually ignored as Larry King in the second movie. He only wants to shake the hand of his creation, but no respect, no respect. That’s ok. Tony Stark’s life is about to fall apart anyway, and Lee will be there to witness ol’ Shellhead’s entire rise and fall and rise again and fall again and maybe rise again storyline. – Brad Gullickson
38. Dapper Dog Walker (Venom)
This one plays into its cheese factor, but it is definitely serviceable in the context of a film as straightforward as Venom. Lee gets a teachable line and an adorable dog to fuel a quick joke. His appearance acts as an overall palate cleanser that helps to reorder the chaos that comes before it. – Sheryl Oh
37. Grandpa Frakes (The Concessionaires Must Die!)
Stan Lee acted as an executive producer on this micro-budgeted wannabe Clerks, and as is his right, he pops up as the influential Grandpa Frakes. This tale of nerds looking to save their great movie theater workspace/hangout is meant to strike the hearts of fandom everywhere. Those that squeal with glee at the sight of Stan Lee should understand the hero’s upbringing through the prism of cinema, comic books, and D&D. Of course, it only makes sense that Lee would play the role of pop culture teacher to the young protagonist at this film’s center. – Brad Gullickson
36. Old Man at Crossing (Daredevil)
With his head firmly planted inside his newspaper, clearly overcome with concern regarding the crime wave spreading through his city, Stan Lee narrowly steps into traffic and head-on with a Mac truck. Thankfully, young Matt Murdock has his extrasensory abilities honed and swings his cane in for the save. Phew. – Brad Gullickson
35. Pageant Judge (Iron Man 3)
Calm down, sir! Stan Lee is practically bouncing out of his chair at the sight of a perfect 10 at this random beauty pageant in rural Tennessee. Clearly, this was an audition for Dirty Grandpa 2. We should be above this level of old man pervert humor, but nope. In some ways, this guy here is a glimpse at a possible future for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), if he was free from the responsibilities of planet-saving. – Brad Gullickson
34. Professor Baker (Jugular Wine: Vampire Odyssey)
You will find no weirder movie on this list than Jugular Wine: A Vampire Odyssey. The film itself is your basic collection of bloodsucking shenanigans, but director Blair Murphy called in a few significant friends to populate the picture. Besides Stan Lee as the nefarious Professor Baker, we also get quick appearances from that other comic book legend Frank Miller and onetime Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins. A quick search on YouTube will unearth the only scenes worth watching, but as was the case with everything Lee did, the cameo-master gave everything to his performance. – Brad Gullickson
33. Man in Fair (Spider-Man)
If Blade knocked on the door of superhero cinema potential, and X-Men swung it open, then Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man kicked the damn thing off its hinges. After 2002, nothing would be the same. Of course, at the time there was a major question as to whether or not the public would accept a character as so blatantly comic booky as Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-Man. Eight appearances and three reboots later, I say “Ha.” On the Stan Lee front, there is not much to report. As the Green Goblin pumpkin bombs the hell outta the World Unity Fair, Lee stares up in horror. Easy enough to blink and never see him. Still, Spidey may ultimately be Lee’s most significant co-creation, and to finally see Lee populate the New York City of Marvel Comics sends chills down the spine of fandom. – Brad Gullickson
32. Willie Lumpkin (Fantastic Four)
This is not your average Stan Lee cameo, and frankly, it should rank even higher on this list. “The Fantastic Four” is the comic book that changed everything. Before these squabbling friends were launched into space, superhero stories were only concerned with the punching and delivery of American justice. With the FF, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revealed that internal conflict and emotional drama was just as rich an entertainment as fisticuffs. So, how do you fit Stan Lee into his most significant work? He’s gotta be Willie Lumpkin, the reoccurring mailman assigned to the Baxter Building! This character was a fan-favorite supporting player in the comics of the 60s and the only shame here is that Stan Lee didn’t get to show off his special ear-wiggling superpowers. – Brad Gullickson
31. Man Dodging Debris (Spider-Man 2)
Stan Lee has about as much screentime in the Spider-Man sequel as he did in the original. So, why does this one rank a little higher on the list? Well, he was just an NYC gawker before, and here he gets to join in on the life-saving. As Doc Ock and Spidey battle it out above, the debris from their conflict rains down upon the citizens. A little girl is about to get squashed, but thankfully there is Lee to the rescue, pulling her from certain doom. He’s in the hero business now. – Brad Gullickson
Related Topics: Comics, Marvel, Marvel Studios, ranking, Stan Lee
