“Test driving with Wade Wilson”: Shawn Levy’s Brilliant Idea for a Stan Lee Cameo in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Brings Back Bittersweet Memories for MCU Fans
- Deadpool & Wolverine was full of unexpected cameos, but Stan Lee's appearance took everyone by surprise.
- The MCU wouldn't exist without the magnificent artist Lee and his colleagues' work.
- Deadpool & Wolverine is winning fans' hearts across the world with smashing ratings.
From the ratings and the box office collection, it seems like Marvel achieved everything it set out to accomplish with Deadpool & Wolverine. The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman starrer has broken records and certainly put the MCU back on the superhero map.
Fans are screaming over the cameos and reveling in the perfect tribute to the Fox era of mutants and X-Men. Now, the mutants are canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, opening up various doors for the studio to converge narratives and have fun with the plot. However, none of this would have been possible without one visionary man, Stan Lee.
Deadpool & Wolverine features a blink-and-you-miss cameo by Stan Lee
Before Deadpool & Wolverine, the only cameos that added thrill to Marvel movies were those of Stan Lee. The legendary man behind many Marvel characters and storylines laid the foundation on which the gigantic Marvel Studios function today. From the Spider-Man movies to the Iron Man movies, Lee made a point to make a cameo and shine even in just a 5-second scene. Subsequently, his death in 2018 left a huge hole in the Marvel Universe as fans wondered who they’d look out for in every flick.
Nevertheless, it’s difficult to erase the memory of a man as celebrated and beloved as Stan Lee. His work and contribution to the comic book world, and Hollywood, will always be remembered fondly. So much so that Deadpool & Wolverine ensured a scene to pay tribute to Lee. We see a short glimpse of the Marvel Godfather on a bus poster when the lead superheroes are fighting the angry mob of Deadpool Corps. If Shawn Levy, the director of Deadpool & Wolverine had had his way and Lee was alive, the cameo would have been done differently. Levy shared,
I’d love to have seen Stan as one of the potential customers and test driving with Wade Wilson.
Wilson is in a tough spot at the beginning of the movie as he hangs up his red spandex after being rejected by the Avengers. He wishes to do nothing with his Deadpool alter ego and perishes away as a car salesman. Levy initially wanted Lee to appear in such a setting where we see Wilson and Lee in a car together as Wilson tries to sell the car to him.
Deadpool & Wolverine Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes
The much-awaited Marvel movie has broken box office records and is rated 79% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. More than bringing you Hugh Jackman back as Logan the movie features many cameos that leave the viewers spellbound. The audience score on the aggregate website is 96%, proving how much fans have loved the movie. While some fans have claimed that the movie fails to consolidate the plot for a larger MCU integration, other fans are happy with the nostalgia fest they got to enjoy in the theater with Deadpool & Wolverine.
The news of the recent Marvel movies bombing at the box office came as no surprise. They failed to garner popular support since they lacked substance and a good story to pull the entire MCU boat along. However, it all seems to be changing with Deadpool & Wolverine as fans are loving Jackman and Ryan Reynolds’ chemistry which translates on-screen from their real-life camaraderie.
The hilarious jokes and quips on the rest of the Marvel universe make fans believe that the studio knows what errors they made. Above all, Reynolds never fails to entertain his fans by breaking the fourth wall and communicating directly with the audience.
Deadpool & Wolverine is playing in theatres near you.
