When I first started watching Marvel superhero movies, one of the things that fascinated me the most were the cameos by Stan Lee. Each movie would have a completely different set of characters, and they were not allowed to cross over, due to different studios owning different characters. Stan Lee was the only constant. There were a few exceptions, of course (X-2, anyone?), nevertheless, Stan the man has appeared in 17 comic book movies, more than anyone else.
My interest in Stan Lee’s cameos led me to noticing other ones, and I decided to compile a list. Keep in mind the ordering of this list is completely my opinion, so feel free to disagree in the comments. I would also like to warn you there are minor spoilers for multiple films on this list, and two major spoilers for The Wolverine.
You should also keep in mind that you will be seeing this guy a lot. If you dislike him, you should probably stop reading this article now.
If none of these things give you pause, feel free to start the countdown!
50. Bryan Singer, X-2: X-Men United
Singer appears as a security guard in Magneto’s plastic prison, and is briefly seen pushing Professor X in his wheelchair, before Cyclops takes over. This is not exactly an exciting cameo, but it is nice to see the man who contributed so much to the cinematic X-Men make an appearance. Plus, once you notice him, it is hard to ever watch the scene same way again.
49. Stan Lee, Iron Man 3
I will admit, this one disappointed me a little. I liked the trend from the previous films in the franchise, where Stan Lee would appear as a celebrity that Tony encounters. A beauty pageant judge is not nearly as exciting. I did like the goofy face he made, but that was about it.
48. J. Michael Stracynski, Thor
Stracynski is the first man to attempt to lift Thor’s hammer in the desert. He fails, so he brings back some of his buddies, who attempt to lift the hammer themselves. This is similar to what he wrote on his own run on the comic. Commenting on this, he said, “I’ve vanished into my own narrative!”
47. Hank McCoy, X-2: X-Men United
This one raises several issues, continuity-wise. Hank McCoy, AKA Beast, appears in X-Men: The Last Stand. He was blue and furry in that film, but this was no big deal at the time, as everyone assumed he transformed between the two movies (the writers of X-2 even said they originally planned to have him turn blue during Professor X’s global mental assault). However, in X-Men: First Class, we actually see him transform, despite the fact that that film took place decades earlier. Did Hank go back and forth between his human look and his animal look multiple times? Was he using an image inducer? Is this simply another man named Hank McCoy? Perhaps this problem will be solved in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Nevertheless, this is a fun nod to the character, regardless if it is canonical or not.
46. Cyclops and Storm, X-Men: First Class
We see these two in a montage of mutants that Professor X mentally detects when he first uses Cerebro. The question is, are they really Cyclops and Storm? If not, it would seem like a pretty big coincidence for a girl with white hair and a boy with red sunglasses to pop in an X-Men prequel. Of course, if they are Scott and Ororo, this creates another problem, as they would have to be in their 50’s or 60’s in the original trilogy. X-Men: Days of Future Past might clear this up, but this is probably just another non-canon reference to X-Men characters.
45. Flash Thompson, Spider-Man 3
Flash appears at the end of Spider-Man 3, at Harry Osborn’s funeral. I admit this does seem a little odd, because Flash and Harry never seemed like they were friends in any sense of the word (at least in the movies). More than likely, he was there to pay his respects for a classmate that he repeatedly picked on for no good reason.
44. Stan Lee, Spider-Man
This cameo could have been much better, and it might have been much higher up on this list. Originally, Stan Lee was going to be a street vendor, trying to sell Peter Parker glasses. In the deleted scene, he told Peter the glasses he was selling were just like the ones in X-Men. The only problem is this would have immediately eliminated all hope that Spider-Man and X-Men were set in the same cinematic universe (we would have to wait years for one of those). Instead, the comic book legend merely runs away from falling debris, pulling a little girl with him.
43. Captain America, The Incredible Hulk deleted scene
Okay, perhaps this is cheating, since this is a deleted scene, instead being in an actual movie. Not to mention you have to watch it in slow motion just to be able to see the ol’ Capsicle. Nevertheless, this caused such a stir within the fanboy community when news of this cameo leaked online, I just had to include it. It made me want to buy the movie on Blu-Ray, just so I could see it better. It also made me want to buy a Blu-Ray player.
42. The Infinity Gauntlet, Thor
We have now arrived at the first prop cameo on this list. I heard about this one many times before I actually saw it. I was able to spot several items in Odin’s treasure room, but I could never find the Infinity Gauntlet (and none of the others were nearly as exciting). Finally I watched a video on Youtube detailing all of the easter eggs, and I was able to find it. In case anyone was wondering, we briefly glimpse the glove right after the Destroyer armor has woken up, when the frost giants are running away. I certainly hope Thanos gets ahold of this thing in the future!
41. Stan Lee, Spider-Man 2
I realize that this scene is basically the same as his cameo in the first movie. Stan Lee is acting heroic in the middle of a battle scene, how original! The difference is, in this one, he is saving an attractive woman, making this scene a heck of a lot more interesting. This also takes place during a spectacular battle scene between Spidey and Doc Ock, which should count for something.
40. Rebecca Romijn, X-Men: First Class
This cameo takes place during the scene where Mystique is trying to seduce Magneto, and he tells her to come back in a few years (just like any other man who is hit on by a younger woman). In response, she transforms from Jennifer Lawrence into Rebecca Romijn. This one is especially cool when you consider that Romijn has now played Mystique is four movies, and she is tied for fifth place in the record of appearing in the most comic book movies as the same character (Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Stewart and Robert Downey Jr. are all ahead of her).
39. Bruce Campbell, Spider-Man 2
I saw the entirety of the original Spider-Man trilogy on DVD, and it took me repeated viewings to realize the announcer at the wrestling match, the mean usher at MJ’s play, and the French maître d' were all played by the same guy. Campbell’s cameo in Spider-Man 2 is my least favorite, because even though he may just be doing his job, he comes off as a total jerk. He acts so evil, you wish he was dead (see what I did there?).
38. Stan Lee, X-Men
Stan Lee’s very first cameo in a Marvel movie, in what was arguably the first Marvel movie (Blade, who?), this one will always hold a special place in the pantheon of Stan Lee cameos. You might notice he is in only two X-Men movies, and he looks shocked in both of them. What an odd trend.
37. Kitty Pryde, X-Men
I imagine this cameo was probably far more impressive when seen in theaters. I saw this movie on video (remember how I said I needed a Blu-Ray player?), after the entire trilogy had already been released. I already knew Kitty had a major role in X-Men: The Last Stand, so I was not particularly impressed. Still, it was nice to see one of my favorite X-Men, even if it was only for a moment.
36. Stan Lee, The Avengers
Similar to his cameo in X-Men, Stan Lee’s cameo in The Avengers could have been far better. In a deleted scene, Steve is eating at a restaurant, and the waitress that he saves in the film’s climax flirts with him. Stan Lee is sitting behind Steve, and he tells him to “Ask for her number, you moron.” His delivery is great, and the scene is hilarious. The cameo that made it into the final cut is a news broadcast where Stan Lee says, “Superheroes in New York? Gimme a break!” I know this is supposed to be ironic, but the other version is much funnier.
35. Roberta, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
This one is a fun little nod to the source material. In the comics, Roberta was the Fantastic Four’s robotic secretary. She looked completely human from the waist up, but anything below was completely robotic. She was changed to a hologram in the movie, which is a little odd, but far stranger is the fact she was designed to look like Ellen Degeneres.
34. Stan Lee as Larry King, Iron Man 2
Brief, but amusing, this one happens right in the beginning. Happy points out King to Tony, or perhaps he has mistaken Stan Lee as the late-night talk show host. If it is the former (and I prefer to think it is), then it is kind of ironic. In the Ultimate comics, Larry King actually interviews Tony Stark. He does this via video feed, as Stark is in space at the time (not on superhero business, of course, Tony is just on a very expensive date).
33. Adam Pally, Iron Man 3
Adam Pally was one of the stars of the ABC sitcom Happy Endings. I never watched the show, and I know I am in the majority, as it cancelled. However, I know I am in the majority, at least among the users of this website, when I say I would react much the same way if I met Iron Man. This scene was really funny, and Pally’s character was very relatable. Also, even though I disliked the movie, I give major props to Shane Black for not killing the fanboy character (I am looking at you, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and The Avengers).
32. Stan Lee and Chris Claremont, X-Men: The Last Stand
The two X-Men legends are glimpsed in the opening of X-Men: The Last Stand. The man who created the original X-Men, and the man who contributed so much to the second generation, appear in the same scene, and most people do not even realize it. Stan Lee is the man watering the lawn, when the water inexplicably starts to defy gravity, thanks to the telekinetic powers of young Jean Grey. Chris Claremont is the guy mowing his lawn, when his lawnmower suddenly flies out of his hand and hovers in the air. This is a good cameo for two reasons: the special effects are very good, and they both look genuinely shocked.
31. Octavia Spencer, Spider-Man
In this scene, we glimpse a future Oscar winner long before she was famous. She is onscreen for less than a minute, but she manages to bring a lot of attitude to her nameless character. She plays a person working at a wrestling arena, and after taking one look at Peter, she tells him her employer is not liable for any injuries. Her presence is even more impressive when you consider that she will star in The Help nine years from now, alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone, the Gwen Stacy’s of Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man, respectively. I need to see that movie, if only for the fact that it has one actress from every Spidey movie except Spider-Man 2.
30. Lou Ferrigno, The Incredible Hulk
Though he may have been incredible as the Hulk, Lou Ferrigno was not a very good security guard. He let a man he had never seen before into the area he was supposed to be guarding, all because he had free pizza. Seriously, though, it was great to see Lou again, I wish he had been in The Avengers. Hopefully we will see him in The Avengers: Age of Ultron!
29. Bruce Campbell, Spider-Man 3
This cameo is unique, since it is the only time in Raimi’s trilogy where Bruce Campbell (or at least the character he is playing) tries to help Peter. Campbell is the maître d' of the fancy French restaurant where Peter plans on proposing to Mary Jane. Things do not go exactly as planned, thanks to Gwen Stacy (she was nothing but a plot device in this movie). Campbell’s character is completely clueless to what is actually happening, but he does his best, and he is quite funny in the process.
28. Bruce Banner, Iron Man 3
Unfortunately, an early review of Iron Man 3 spoiled this one for me. The reviewer said that Tony was talking to someone from The Avengers, so I reasoned it had to be Agent Coulson or Bruce Banner. I did like that this scene explained why Tony was narrating throughout the film, and I also liked that Bruce and Tony popped up in each other’s movies. I just wish this scene teased a future movie, as these scenes are apt to do.
27. Stan Lee as Hugh Hefner, Iron Man
In the credits, Stan Lee is credited as playing himself. So you could argue that Tony merely mistakes the creator of Iron Man for the creator of Playboy, since he only sees him from behind. However, dressing in a silly-looking outfit that resembles a robe, having his arms around two young women and smoking an old fashioned pipe is not something Stan Lee is known to do, so I prefer to think that he is playing Hugh Hefner.
26. Siryn, X-2: X-Men United
I thought Siryn’s cameo was neat, but it was nothing to scream about (that joke never gets old). Seriously, though, my favorite part of her appearance was how the other people in the mansion reacted to her screams, especially Wolverine, since he should be in the most pain. Many fans complain about how messed up the X-Men movie timeline is, and I cannot blame them. One good thing that has come from this fractured timeline is that Banshee is significantly older than his daughter.
25. Nick Fury and the Tesseract, Thor
I was confused by this scene at first, as I did not recognize the cosmic cube (only called the Tesseract in the movies). Upon re-watching, the scene made more sense. Some people were confused by this scene's correlation with The Avengers, since it appears Erik Selvig is already under Loki's control, but we see Loki take over his mind in the team-up film. However, I think Loki is just eavesdropping on Fury and Selvig's conversation. As for Sam Jackson as Fury, it is always nice to see him, and I wish he would have more major roles in these movies. Of course, this Fury cameo is nowhere near as good as another one that will appear on this list.
24. HERBIE, Fantastic Four: Extended Addition
Technically, this one should not count, since this is a scene from the Extended Addition DVD, and not the theatrical cut. I decided to include it anyways, since this a great nod to a character I never thought would appear in the movies (and technically, he still has not). Debuting first in the cartoon, before moving on to the comics, HERBIE (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics) was never exactly a fan favorite character. I became familiar with the little robot from reading Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius. I was thrilled to see Franklin’s sidekick, even though he did look a little bit like something from Mystery Science Theater 2000.
23. Yinsen, Iron Man 3
You might recall in the first Iron Man that Yinsen tells Tony the two of them have met before, at a technical conference in Bern, Switzerland. What makes this scene cool is that we see them meet, just like Yinsen described. Of course, Tony does not appear to be nearly as drunk as Yinsen said he was, (“If I had been that drunk, I wouldn’t have been able to stand, much less give a lecture on integrated circuits.”). Perhaps this was after Tony gave his lecture, or maybe he holds his liquor very well (we see him drinking all the time, but his party in the second movie is the only time he acts drunk). Nevertheless, it was nice to see an old friend come back, especially one that received so little screen time.
22. Captain America’s shield, Iron Man
Cap’s shield is seen in the background when JARVIS is first removing Tony’s armor. As it is not particularly noticeable, even I did not notice this prop cameo (okay, technically CGI) until I read about it online. Like the cameo from Captain America himself in the deleted scene from The Incredible Hulk, this one sent the fanboy circles buzzing. Why on earth is a half-finished version of Cap’s shield in Tony Stark’s workshop? Is he building a prototype for the next generation of Super Soldiers? Now that we have seen both Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers, I think it is fair to say Tony is building a new version in honor of his dad. Who knows, maybe Howard Stark was building this prototype, in case his buddy ever returned, and Tony never threw it away (but that still does not explain what it is doing out in the open, instead of being packed away somewhere).
21. Stan Lee, Captain America: The First Avenger
Many fans were surprised when the news leaked that Stan Lee would cameo in this film, since he typically only cameos in movies about his own characters (hence why he is not in X-Men: Origins Wolverine). However, he has written many stories for Captain America (his first published story was the first time Cap threw his shield), and he was the guy who brought Cap back from a nearly 20-year coma. In the scene itself, Stan Lee is a decorated officer in the military who confuses Captain America for someone else. “I thought he would be taller,” Stan the man says. Funny, I did not think he would be in this movie.
20. Hawkeye, Thor
Unfortunately, this one was spoiled for me. I might have been more excited if I did not already expect to see Hawkeye, or Agent Barton, as he is called in this scene. I was a little disappointed that we never see the Avenger’s archer fire a single arrow, but I did like that we heard him crack wise a few times (sadly, this is something he barely did in The Avengers). An interesting fact: Hawkeye, Thor, Loki, and Erik Selvig have never appeared in a movie separate from each other.
19. Stan Lee, Thor
One of Stan Lee’s funnier cameos, he plays the truck driver who attempts to move Mjolnir. Of course, the real Stan Lee would know you cannot possibly move Mjolnir if you are not worthy enough. Then again, you would think that the guy who came up with the idea of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and the Avengers would certainly be worthy. If the real Stan Lee tried to lift the hammer, I think it would work.
18. Stan Lee, The Incredible Hulk
Unlike most of his cameos, this is one is significant to the plot. Stan Lee plays the man who discovers Bruce Banner’s Gamma irradiated blood in a bottle of soda by drinking it. For a moment, forget that there was Gamma radiation in this blood. Stan Lee’s character drank someone else’s blood, and that is pretty gross. Nevertheless, this leads to the military discovering Bruce, causing him to flee to the United States, setting the plot in motion. Sure, he may get to be heroic in the Spider-Man movies, but if he was not in The Incredible Hulk, the whole movie would have consisted of Bruce working at a bottle factory, learning Portuguese, and cutting up flowers.
17. Professor X, X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Interestingly, Professor X is the only character aside from Wolverine to appear in every X-Men movie, even though two of those appearances are cameos, and James McCavoy plays the character in one of those movies. In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the professor pops up just in the (Tah-Dah!) nick of time to save the mutant teenagers that escaped from Stryker’s base. He would go on to teach Scott Summers to become a strong, tough, confident leader that is able to attract a (murderously) abusive girlfriend. He would also go on to teach Emma Frost how to go back in time, age twenty years, and act wooden. Part of what makes this scene so much fun is how young Patrick Stewart looks. He is even younger than he was in the flashback scene in X-Men: The Last Stand (I think), and the special effects look significantly better.
16. Stan Lee, Daredevil
In this cameo, a young Matt Murdock prevents Stan Lee from walking into oncoming traffic. I like to think that Matt saved the entire Marvel universe, since he saved Stan Lee before he could create the rest of it. Of course, one could point out that this movie does not share continuity with any other on this list. The only movie that takes place in the same universe is Elektra, and I am still pretending that movie does not exist.
15. Stryker’s computer, X-2: X-Men United
Perhaps this does not technically count as a cameo, but there are so many X-Men characters referenced in this scene, I had to include it. Just consider it a prop cameo, or a cameo from multiple different mutants at once. We see the alter egos of at least a dozen comic book characters, including Cannonball, Husk, Silver Samurai (at least in the comics, he is a different person in the movies), Kane, Gambit, Magneto (the person Mystique is searching for), Artie Maddicks, Multiple Man, Karma, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Proteus, Mirage, and bizarrely, Storm. We even see an entire file named Franklin Richards, son of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. Could this one day lead to a crossover between the two franchises? Maybe, but things start to get bizarre when you consider that X-2 does not take place in the same continuity as the films that would come to theaters several years later, rather, they would share continuity with the planned FF reboot. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, am I the only one dying to know why these names were on Stryker’s computer (aside from the obvious, that most of them are mutants)?
14. Captain America #1, Captain America: The First Avenger
One of the things I liked about the original Fantastic Four comics was that even though it was real a comic book series, the FF had their own fictional comic book series, sort of a comic book within a comic book. I was a little disappointed the FF did not have their own comic in either of the movies, but Captain America: The First Avenger made up for that. Initially, Captain America is just a propaganda character designed to sell war bonds, so it makes sense that there was a comic book tie-in. This issue is actually glimpsed in Iron Man 2, when Tony is watching his dad’s new reels.
13. Bruce Campbell, Spider-Man
This is Bruce Campbell’s first cameo, and it is far and away my favorite. He plays the nameless announcer at the wrestling ring where Peter tries to use his powers to make money. Campbell is very funny in the role, and he is actually the first person to dub Peter “The amazing Spider-Man”. If not for him, we would have been watching a movie called Man-Spider, which would be intolerable.
12. Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno, Hulk
I have said it before, and I will say it again. Ang Lee’s Hulk was not a particularly great movie. However, it does have a great cameo. This scene is great just for the pure cameo-star-power on screen. The creator of the Hulk and the first man to portray him in live-action together in the same shot is just incredible! The only downside is that Stan Lee refers to Bruce Banner as “Dr. Krensler”, and you would think he would remember the name of his own character (I am just kidding, of course. In the first few issues of The Incredible Hulk, he was referred to as “Bob Banner” multiple times).
11. Captain America’s shield, Iron Man 2
I was waiting for this one, and I am sure many of the fans who noticed the shield in the original Iron Man were as well. Jon Favreau did not disappoint me. Agent Coulson finds the shield, and makes a big deal out of it (his reaction makes more sense now that we have seen The Avengers). At first, Tony acts like the shield is a big deal, telling Coulson it is exactly what he needs. Then he uses it like a doorstop. I have seen paperweights that are given more respect. This prop cameo (and it literally was a prop this time) gave fans exactly what they wanted, except an explanation for why the shield was there, of course.
10. Wolverine, X-Men: First Class
Wolverine's cameo was hardly unexpected, but still funny. One thing that originally bothered me was that the Ol' canucklehead uses a certain swear word in this scene. The usage of this word is not what offended me, but rather the fact that over the course of four movies that Wolverine stars in/hogs the spotlight in, he never uses this word. Then I watched The Wolverine, where Logan uses this particular word to insult Harada (he also compliments him by calling him a pretty boy, so it balances out), and it no longer bothered me. Who knows, maybe Wolverine only uses that word once every fifty years.
9. Stan Lee as himself, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Just like in the comics, Stan Lee attempts to attend the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Of course, the wedding he tries to attend in this movie is nowhere near as awesome as it was in the comic books. In the comics, it was a massive crossover event, with Doctor Doom inviting over a dozen super villains, and the Avengers, the X-Men, Daredevil, and Spider-Man show up to help. As an example of the difference, in the comic, both Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (who I like to believe would cameo in as many movies as Stan Lee had he not passed away years ago) are thrown out of the wedding by Nick Fury! In the movie, Stan Lee is turned away by someone we have never seen before, and Sue and Reed do not even technically get married (a helicopter puts a stop to that). Still, this is a great reference to the source material, and very funny to boot.
8. Mjolnir, Iron Man 2
There are two great prop cameos in Iron Man 2, and is it any coincidence they both involve Phil Coulson? This end-credits scene was certainly worth the wait, something I cannot say for all of them (we waited ten minutes to watch the Avengers eat?). As a teaser, it certainly did its job, as I left the theater eagerly anticipating Thor. Even though we only got a brief glimpse at Mjolnir, I could already tell it was perfect. Whoever designed that thing (for the movie) deserves an award.
7. Stan Lee, Spider-Man 3
This cameo has the greatest dialogue Stan Lee has ever spoken on the big screen. "You know, I guess one person can make a difference. ‘Nuff said." With one simple sentence, he sums up a key theme of the original Spider-Man comics, one person, doing what he knows is right, can make a positive impact. What he says after that is one of his unique catchphrases, and I believe I let out a gasp when I heard Stan the man utter his famous phrase. The only thing we need now is to hear him say, “Excelsior,” in one of these cameos.
6. Tony Stark, The Incredible Hulk
This is still a great scene, despite the fact it does not have the same bearing on the Marvel universe that was originally intended. Indeed, Marvel probably regrets this cameo since Robert Downey Jr.’s contract recently ran out, and this cameo does not even lead to The Avengers. Way back in 2008, they were considering using the Hulk as the villain in the team-up movie. I do not blame the studio for not ironing out the details of the plot of a movie that would not come to theaters for four years. However, I cannot help but question why the advertisers chose to blow the movie’s best cameo in the trailer. If you are wondering how this scene no longer leads to The Avengers, watch the Marvel One Shot “The Consultant”, where it is explained that Stark was there merely to annoy General Ross.
5. Stan Lee, The Amazing Spider-Man
I think it is fair to say this is Stan Lee’s funniest cameo yet. He plays a nameless character working in a library, listening to classical music as Spider-Man and the Lizard viciously fight behind him. His character’s obliviousness to the battle royale taking place behind him, and the whimsical music on the soundtrack make this scene hilarious, especially when seen for the first time. Similar to the Hulk thrashing Loki, this scene is both funny and cool, as there is something especially awesome about Stan Lee standing in the foreground, while two of his classic characters duke it out in the background.
4. Nick Fury, Iron Man
This one was no surprise, as I had already read about it beforehand (thanks, Entertainment Weekly) but that’s probably a good thing, otherwise I never would have stayed until the end of the credits (no, really, that was a sincere thanks. Great job, EW!). Admittedly, this scene does not seem as epic today as it did on that glorious day five years ago, but you can still marvel at what it set up. This was the first indication that a movie about the Avengers was coming, let alone a shared universe. This was also the first time we saw Samuel L. Jackson wear the signature eye patch, and they could not have chosen a better actor for the role, in my opinion. An Oscar-nominated movie star, who can play both likable and intimidating, and loves the character so much he is willing to sign a nine-picture deal, how can you say no to that? So what if he more closely resembles the ultimate version of the character than the 616 version, his personality is a combination of the two. Both Nick Fury and SHIELD were introduced in the same movie, and I believed the MCU was off to a great start.
3. Stan Lee as Willie Lumpkin, Fantastic Four
This is the first Stan Lee cameo I ever saw, and it is still my favorite today. In one short scene, the film honors the original comics in two ways. First, it has the creator of the Fantastic Four onscreen, talking to Reed Richards like old friends. Second, it has said creator of the FF playing one of his own characters, a supporting character that could easily have been forgotten. I wonder if Stan Lee ever considered playing the character himself when he wrote his dialogue almost 50 years ago. I know he played himself in the sequel, but is it too much to ask for him to return as Willie in the reboot?
2. Thanos, The Avengers
What is there to say about this entry that has not been said many times before? Thanos, the mad titan and wannabe boyfriend of Death, makes his big screen debut at the end of The Avengers. He may never speak a word, but the entire scene is still awesome. When the Other says, “To challenge them is to court death,” I knew it could be no one else. The question is, where does the character go from here? We know he will be in Guardians of the Galaxy, but how big of a role does he play? We also know he is not the main villain in The Avengers: Age of Ultron (thanks to the title), but will he have a small part in that movie? Finally, will he be the head baddie in the third Avengers movie? This scene left me with plenty of questions, as the greatest teasers do. No matter when we see him again, I will always remember this cameo as the first time we saw the mad titan grin.
1. Professor X and Magneto, The Wolverine
Wolverine is going through airport security (I have no idea how he can possibly make it through, ever), when multiple metal objects begin rattling. Logan has seen this before, but he is unwilling to believe who is responsible still has that ability, until he turns around and sees the master of magnetism himself. He should probably wonder how Magneto got his powers back (as he never saw Maggie move that chess piece), but instinct kicks in, and he goes back to threatening the man he knows he cannot possibly harm. After Logan tells Erik exactly what he thinks, everyone around him stops thinking. Every person in the room, aside from Wolverine and Magneto, freezes in place. The ol’ canucklehead has seen this trick before, but this one is even harder to believe, since he believes the good professor is dead. Indeed, he was not the only one shocked, as there was an audible gasp from the audience when Professor X rolled into frame. This scene is my favorite cameo of all time, not just in Marvel movies, but in movies in general. You might think this made the top of my list because it is fresh in my mind, but I have a feeling this scene will endure as a classic (as far as cameos in super hero movies go). This is the first time since 2009 that Patrick Stewart has played Professor X, and the first time since 2006 that Ian McKellen has played Magneto, and it was worth the wait. What exactly is the great threat they need Wolverine to help combat? It probably has to do with Sentinels, but other than that, I have no idea. I do know that after Xavier says the classic line from the original X-Men (“You’re not the only one with gifts,”), I was more even more excited for X-Men: Days of Future Past.
You have reached the end of my list! Do you agree with the majority of my choices? Did I forget any? Let me know in the comments!