Has Stan Lee Been Playing The Same Character In Every Marvel Movie?



There's an interesting and cool theory that I recently came across that suggests all of the cameos that Marvel co-founder Stan Lee has had in the Marvel movies could actually be the same character.

The cameos that Lee has made in all of these films over the years are meant to pay tribute to the man who created so many of these amazing characters. But, what if there was a little more to it than that?

The theory suggests that the Marvel cinematic version of Stan Lee is actually Uatu, also known as The Watcher, but in human form. Apparently, this theory has been floating around for awhile now, but I just came across it over on Cinemablend.




For those of you not familiar with The Watcher, he was created by Lee and Jack Kirby in the early 1960s. He's one of the oldest beings in the Marvel Universe, and is part of a race that watches over and observes the universe. The character records everything that happens, and he's specifically assigned to watch over the events of Earth, but he doesn’t involve himself in its affairs.

This would explain why Lee's character happens to be around all of the superhero action in the cinematic universe. Now, we know the character is assigned to specifically watch over the events of Earth, so how do we explain Lee's appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy? Well, he's obviously keeping his eye on Peter Quill, who is from Earth, and he knows that he has an important future role in the universe and what happens to Earth.

One of the coolest parts about this theory is that in a very small way it establishes a multiverse that connects all of the Marvel franchises that Lee has appeared in. That means even though separate studios own certain rights to different characters, there is still a connection within the cinematic universe.

I don't think we'll ever see studios like Marvel, Fox, and Sony working together to crossover any of the characters they own the rights too. Even if you don't buy into the whole Watcher theory, in a way, that connection is still there with the cameos Stan Lee has made.

Stan Lee has played small parts in many of the recent Marvel movies:

X-Men - A hot dog vendor seen when Robert Kelly emerges from the sea after escaping Magneto.
Spider-Man - Saves a young girl from falling debris during Spider-Man's fight with the Green Goblin.
Daredevil - Matt stops him from walking in front of a truck.
Hulk - Security guard along with Lou Ferrigno.
Spider-Man 2 - A man that saves a woman from a falling piece of concrete during the battle of Spider-Man and Doc Ock.
Fantastic Four - Willie Lumpkin, Reed Richards' mailman.
X-Men: The Last Stand - Jean Grey's neighbor with the water hose.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - Himself, a wedding guest who is turned away.
Spider-Man 3 - A man in Times Square, who shortly comments to Peter Parker about Spider-Man.
Iron Man - Hugh Hefner
The Incredible Hulk - The man poisoned by a drink laced with the Hulk's blood.
Iron Man 2 - Larry King
Thor - "Stan the Man", tries to pull Thor's hammer using his truck.
Captain America: The First Avenger - an elderly general.
The Avengers - a man being interviewed on television who dismisses the idea of super heroes existing in New York.
The Avengers deleted scene - a man sitting in a bar, calling Steve Rogers a moron for not understanding that Beth the waitress was coming on to him.
The Amazing Spider-Man - the Midtown Science High School Librarian.
Iron Man 3 - a beauty pageant judge.
Thor: The Dark World - man in mental hospital.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"T.R.A.C.K.S." - man on the train.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Smithsonian guard who discovers that Captain America's World War II suit was stolen.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - a guest at Gwen Stacy's graduation.
Guardians of the Galaxy - Xandarian Ladies' Man]

Daredevil - Matt stops him from walking in front of a truck.

Thor - "Stan the Man", tries to pull Thor's hammer using his truck.