In honor of the late Stan Lee, ABC will air an hour-long special, Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee. Hosted by Clark Gregg, the evening will feature never before seen interviews, archive footage, and stars of the Marvel universe sharing their memories of legendary pop culture icon.
Stan Lee
What’s happening:
- Stars of the Marvel Universe assemble to celebrate the life and luminous legacy of Stan Lee in an ABC News production, Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee.
- The special will air on Friday, December 20 (8:00 – 9:00 pm EST), on ABC.
- Filmed in part in front of a live audience at The New Amsterdam Theater in New York City, Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee takes viewers on an action-packed journey throughout the life of Lee and across the Marvel Universe, sharing never-before-seen interviews and archive footage with Lee himself from deep within the Marvel and ABC News archives.
- During the special, stars will share their memories of Lee including:
- Tom Hiddleston
- Paul Bettany
- Cobie Smulders
- Clark Gregg
- Ming-Na Wen
- Saquon Barkley
- Mark Hamill
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Method Man
- Darryl DMC McDaniels
- Lauren Ridloff
- Kevin Smith
- Deborah Ann Woll
- Joe Quesada
- Seth Green
- Bob Iger
- CB Cebulski
- Todd McFarlane
- Kevin Feige
- Gerry Conway
About Stan Lee and his work:
- Lee was one of the most prolific and legendary comic creators of all time. In his more-than-seven decades in the industry, he dreamed up new characters and worlds, bringing readers an all-star roster of heroes and villains.
- Lee is credited with making an unprecedented impact on the world of pop culture and co-created many of Marvel’s iconic comic book characters, including:
- Spider-Man
- Ant-Man
- Iron Man
- The Fantastic Four
- The Avengers
- The X-Men
- Black Panther
- He was a visionary and true pioneer whose work lives on in everything from films, television and comic books to video games and consumer products.
- Known for his vivid and engaging prose, Lee gave his heroes real-world problems and realistic human failings.
- Besides saving the world, they had to face everyday concerns and Lee never shied away from social commentary on relevant issues such as race or substance abuse.
- He also broke ground in giving credit to comic creators, and filled every issue of his titles with chatty responses to fan letters.
- After years as Marvel’s editor-in-chief, Lee became Marvel’s editorial director and publisher in 1972, and eventually was named chairman emeritus.
- His well-known cameos in Marvel films began with 1989’s telefilm The Trial of the Incredible Hulk; and since the release of X-Men in 2000, he has appeared in nearly every Marvel production.
- Lee also appeared in many television series including:
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Marvel’s Agent Carter
- Marvel’s Daredevil
- Ultimate Spider-Man
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
- LEGO Marvel’s Avengers
- Outside the Super Hero realm, he even pops up as a wedding guest in Disney’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and portrayed a version of himself in the indie classic Mallrats.
What they’re saying:
- Joe Quesada, executive vice president, creative director of Marvel Entertainment: “As a young man, Stan ‘The Man’ Lee always dreamed of writing, going on to create some of the greatest heroes of our modern times. Stan showed each of us how to be a hero in our everyday lives, and the stories he wrote will go on to influence generations of fans for decades to come. We can’t wait for all you True Believers out there to see this special to honor and celebrate Stan’s incredible life and all the lives he has touched.”
Creative team:
- Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee is produced by ABC News in association with Marvel.
- John R. Green serves as executive producer
- Matt Lombardi is co-executive producer