Captain Marvel is the first Marvel Studios film to be released following the death of Stan Lee, which meant that the legendary writer's passing was always going to be addressed in the movie. On top of the tearjerking and beautiful intro, his cameo had to be reworked as well.
According to director Anna Boden, the anticipated cameo was originally played for laughs before being altered. In addition to reshooting Larson's reaction shots, the scene was re-edited to become an emotional beat for the film. Speaking to Mashable she said:
Instead of just the pure laugh we had, we had a little bit of a smile from Captain Marvel in response to it, and she kind of breaks character for a moment. I think it reflects a little bit of what the audience is feeling, and we allowed that to happen.
Furthermore, Kevin Smith, whose
Mallrats script is quoted and included in the scene, revealed that Lee's vocals had to be taken from his 1995 cult classic.
"This was when Stan was on his weaker side, only a few months before he passed," Smith recounted.
"The voice wasn't quite there" on the day of shooting. Using alternate takes from Mallrats, the vocals heard in Captain Marvel are stright from Smith's film, resulting in the finished product that audiences emotionally embraced.
Smith goes on to eloborate on his Youtube channel.
How did you react to Lee's cameo?