Stan Lee: The Stars Pay Tribute To The Marvel Legend

Tributes have been coming in for Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, who has died at the age of 95. Lee passed away today, November 12, and notable figures from the worlds of movies, TV, and comic books have taken to social media to pay tribute to him and his effect on their lives.

Many of the current stars of Marvel superhero movies offered their respects to Lee, who hepled create some of the most famous superheroes of all time. Captain America actor Chris Evans said, "There will never be another Stan Lee. For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy." He was joined by Wolverine star Hugh Jackman who described Lee as "a pioneering force in the superhero universe. I'm proud to have been a small part of his legacy and... to have helped bring one of his characters to life."

Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, said that "no one has had more of an impact on my career and everything we do at Marvel Studios than Stan Lee. Stan leaves an extraordinary legacy that will outlive us all." Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. posted an image of himself and Lee on-set together, while Spider-Man star Tom Holland called him "the father of Marvel" who "made so many people so incredibly happy."

Guardians of the Galaxy star Zoe Saldana also posted an on-set image of Lee, director James Gunn, and herself on-set, and called him an "inspiration and superhero to us all."

Josh Brolin, who played Thanos in this year's Avengers: Infinity War, explained the extent to which Lee's work had influenced him. "To those of us who have been so deeply affected by the humanity of his imagination, the understanding of reaching beyond our potential and the necessity of tapping into our immeasurable imaginations, we thank you and are forever indebted," he said.

Disney boss Bob Iger released a statement as part of a tribute on the official Marvel website. "Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created," Iger said. "A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart."

Lee's official Twitter feed also offered its own simple tribute, which you can see below:

There were also tributes from the wider community of actors, musicians, politicians, and comic book creators. Artist Rob Liefield, who co-created Deadpool, spoke about the last time he saw Lee, back in August. "He was peaceful and comfortable and in great spirits," he wrote. "He sat in his favorite chair overlooking his pool and the beautiful canyons. I thanked him for being a visionary, not just creatively, but being a visionary in bringing Marvel to Hollywood, knowing how well they would be served by TV and film."

Filmmaker and host of AMC's Comic-Book Men Kevin Smith, who directed Lee in his movie Mall Rats, wrote about how Lee's creations has been an inspiration to him and to so many fans. "You dreamed up some of my favorite modern myths and created characters that instilled in me a moral barometer, teaching me right from wrong and showing me it's always better to be a hero instead of a villain," he wrote. "Your characters represented us: yes, they had extraordinary, unbelievable abilities, but they were also reflections of a world we knew, where a Spider-Man is really just a boy who wants to help."

Marvel's comic book rivals DC also posted a moving tribute to Lee. And of course, Lee's legacy will also live on the many cameos he filmed for Marvel movies--check out our look at these scenes here.