One thing that ties all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (and most Marvel-inspired movies in general) together is the presence of Marvel god Stan Lee. His cameos have become some of the most anticipated aspects of any Marvel movies, and even at 95 years of age, the guy has remained active well into the MCU's Phase 3 slate. His next cameo will be in Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, but according to the man behind Marvel, he's a little disappointed that his role doesn't involve an all-out brawl with Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa. Stan Lee made an appearance at ACE Comic Con in Arizona and explained:
I'm a little disappointed in my Black Panther cameo. I had wanted a great fight scene where I fight the Black Panther to a standstill. I didn't get that, but I want you to see the movie anyway. Even though it's not my greatest cameo, you owe it to me to see it.
If Stan Lee's wish had been granted, and he had been afforded the opportunity actually to face off against Black Panther in a fist fight, then it would arguably be the most active that the Marvel icon has been in a Marvel movie in terms of directly affecting the protagonist. For the most part, his appearances have been small, blink-and-you-miss-it moments that often don't even cross over with the main hero -- with a notable exception in Thor: Ragnarok, in which Stan Lee's character gives Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) his new haircut. A fight scene would definitely be new territory for Lee, but if something like that were to happen, I wouldn't be shocked if some fans were excited to see something wild like that go down.
Of course, it's worth mentioning that Stan Lee's remark at ACE Comic Con (via Comicbook.com) is most likely nothing more than a joke. All sci-fi elements and possible Infinity Stones aside, Black Panther looks like a movie that takes itself somewhat seriously, and having T'Challa fight an opponent bordering on centenarian status might not be on-brand for the tone and style that Ryan Coogler is aiming for with this project.
As for the future of Stan Lee's acting career, we don't necessarily know how long he plans to stick with these beloved cameos after the release of Black Panther. We already know that he filmed other cameos for Ant-Man and The Wasp, as well as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, but as far as Captain Marvel goes (not to mention any possible projects that could appear on the Phase 4 slate), we remain in the dark. That said, Kevin Feige has suggested that there's no end in sight for this partnership, so it's worth staying optimistic about Lee's longevity in the MCU.
Make sure to watch out for Stan Lee's Black Panther cameo (whatever form it may take) when the film debuts in theaters next month on February 16. From there, T'Challa will make his next appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Avengers: Infinity War debuts on May 4. Here's everything that we know about Black Panther, and here's everything that we currently have on Avengers: Infinity War.
