We got a pretty good indication of all the love outside the Stan Lee Tribute — aka Excelsior! A Celebration of The Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible and Uncanny Life of Stan Lee — last night in Hollywood, but what about the scene inside TCL Grauman’s Chinese Theatre? Well, let’s just say it continued to soar onwards and upwards. With the ever-enthusiastic Kevin Smith serving as host for the evening, stars from across the galaxy came to sit on the superhero-pillow-decorated couch arranged at the front of the historic theater, to share stories of just how much Stan Lee impacted their own stories, as well as history. First up were some of the big players from the Spider-verse: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller. Arad recounted his experiences bringing Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man to the big screen, and noted that “Stan had to be the spiritual model” for that film. He also compared Lee to Hemingway and Tolstoy, for his ability to “take a character and turn it into a metaphor.” Pascal recalled when Arad brought Spidey to her at Sony, saying that it was “a beautiful metaphor about people and relationships.” She also mentioned that Stan wasn’t always as warm and cuddly as he’s sometimes made out to be, especially when critiquing Sony's Spider-Man movies. “He was pretty honest, which is something I always appreciated,” she said. Lord recounted the time that he and Miller were at Comic-Con and snuck into a party, then preceded to geek out effusively when they met Lee. “We’re the reason there are wrist bands,” said Lord, while remembering The Man as a “compulsive creator,” who could “make ordinary people feel extraordinary,” and wasn’t afraid to use “exclamation points liberally!” Miller said that Lee’s Peter Parker “really democratized the superhero,” which paved the way for “the idea of Miles Morales as the modern equivalent of that.” He also said, wholeheartedly, that he and Lord’s style came directly from Lee, very early on. (Credit: Getty Images) Up next, Smith brought out Mark Hamill, Laurence Fishburne, Clark Gregg, Felicia Day, and Tom DeSanto, the producer of 2000's X-Men, which featured Lee’s first ever big-screen cameo. Hamill recalled asking Lee for his advice on how to stay so fit and trim, then offered up perhaps the best Stan impression of the night, saying: “I like to get up every morning and worry all day very hard.” He also remembered Lee as the man who “put a human face on what it must have been like to work at a comics company,” and having “the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old.” Brooklynite Fishburne recalled buying comics when he was 6 or 7 years old for 10 cents each, before the price was raised to 15 cents and he had to start stealing them. He also spoke from the heart about how comics, particularly Lee’s comics centered in New York, encouraged him to read, saying they “opened my mind to the possibility that you could be more than what your surroundings said you should be.” Gregg, who was “kinda freaking out” about sitting next to Luke Skywalker and Morpheus, recalled having never been more starstruck than when Lee did his cameo on Thor. He then told a story about how Lee’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. brief cameo turned into a hilarious Stan monologue. Day recalled being at Marvel when she was trying to get The Guild off the ground, and crashing Lee’s office, unannounced and uninvited. She dropped off some samples of her work, then promptly exited, and was embarrassed about doing so until Stan called out of the blue, saying he looked at everything, and loved it all. She also remembered him from so many cons, saying “he would really connect in a very human way with every single fan.” DeSanto couldn’t help but notice that “looking around this room, you realize Stan Lee lives,” while remembering The Man as his own personal Pope, in a very spiritual sense, saying, “He made you feel like you were capable of anything.” He also recalled how Stanley Lieber wanted to write the great American novel, but Stan Lee gave us so much more: “the great global mythology.” Then it was time for the lectern to finally get some use, as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti — a self-proclaimed geek himself as the “only mayor in America to have the limited series of Wolverine #1, 2, 3, and 4” — presented Lee with a key to the city “for someone who unlocked our dreams collectively.” He also recalled Lee’s “relentless positivity,” and noted that Lee “woulda had a great career in politics.” Throughout the course of the evening, between speakers, clips of Stan’s life and his life in movies were played on the big screen — and trust us, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen every Stan Lee cameo in a row on the biggest of big screens. There were also heartfelt testimonials from some stars who couldn’t be there, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Mike Colter, David Tennant, Ming-Na Wen, William Shatner, George Takei, and Doug Jones, who beautifully delivered a quote by his Silver Surfer character: “If die I must — let it be as I have lived — soaring swift and silent — striving for the right — no matter what the cost!” Soar on, Stan. Soar on.<doc-sep>Associated Press LOS ANGELES – An Army bugler played a mournful “Taps” at a Hollywood memorial for Stan Lee, and military bagpipers sent a solemn “Amazing Grace” into the air. Standing respectfully around them was another group in its own impeccable uniforms: Lee fans dressed as Black Panther, Wolverine and other members of the X-Men and Avengers. It might have been a ridiculous scene at the TCL Chinese Theatre Wednesday night had it not been a perfect encapsulation of the life of Lee, a World War II veteran who wanted to become a serious writer and instead grudgingly took a job in comic books, becoming the mastermind behind Marvel Comics and co-creator of many of the best known and most lucrative characters of the last century. Lee died Nov. 12 at age 95. Stan Lee tributes: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Prattand more celebs mourn comic book icon “This was a guy who spent his life dreaming of writing the great American novel, and he didn’t realize he was doing it, over and over and over again,” said the night’s host, filmmaker Kevin Smith, a friend and super-fan of Lee. “The world didn’t need another ‘In Cold Blood.’ It needed Spider-Man.” On a night that had more cheers than tears, hundreds of Marvel fans stood and paid tribute along with Lee’s colleagues, co-creators and friends outside the Hollywood Boulevard theater where he had put his hand and footprints in cement in a similar ceremony 18 months earlier. Lee died in December at age 95. “Sometimes when I’m feeling sad or I’m upset I would think of Stan Lee and this wonderful universe he’s created,” said Lee fan Isaac Suarez, who was celebrating his 14th birthday. “His soul lives on in every one of us, in every single comic and movie he’s put his life into.” Tom DeSanto, who as producer of “X-Men” was among the first to find big-screen success with Lee’s characters, said he was astonished by Lee’s global reach. “I’ve seen kids dressed up as “Spider-Man in Beijing, Boston and Barcelona,” DeSanto said. Across the street was a billboard announcing that a movie whose characters started with Lee, “Black Panther,” had been nominated for six Academy Awards. “That’s a triumph,” Smith said. “It’s a cherry on the top of an amazing, productive life.” Oscar nominations: Why 'Black Panther' really deserves that best-picture nod Oscar watch! What 'Black Panther' win, other SAG Awards mean for Academy Awards Smith called Lee “one of the best humans to ever walk the earth,” setting the tone for a night when no one would hold back in their superhero-worship. Speakers and panelists would compare Lee to the pope, Jesus, and the shining light of the sun. Mark Hammill, a friend of Lee who often worked alongside him doing voices on Marvel animation projects, was among the few to admit Lee had flaws. “He wasn’t always nice,” Hammill said in a panel discussion. “He’d give you shots. He could be acerbic.” Chris Miller and Phil Lord, producers of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which is also nominated for an Oscar, talked about meeting Lee when he was very old yet still bursting with energy and ideas. “There were thousands of them,” Lord said. “He was a compulsive creator.” Actor Laurence Fishburne, who appeared in Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp” last year, described the thrill of spending 12 cents to buy a Lee comic book when he was a child in Brooklyn, New York. “It opened my eyes to the possibility that you could be more than your surroundings say you can be,” Fishburne said. The night also featured frequent digs at comedian Bill Maher, who on his talk show last week took shots at Lee worshippers who still read comic books as adults. A big-screen graphic at one point thanked him for bringing comics fans together. Maher blasts comic-book lovers: 'I’m not glad Stan Lee is dead, I’m sad you’re alive' Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti gave Lee a posthumous key to the city, with Lee’ catchphrase “Excelsior!” engraved on it. The night included much praise for the artists Lee worked with who often go uncredited, including Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, and just as much praise for Lee’s wife and partner in everything Joan, who died in 2017. Lee’s only child and heir, daughter J.C. Lee, made a rare public appearance, walking quickly along the red carpet and shouting thanks to fans and reporters. The night lacked the star power of any of the actors who play members of the Avengers, but made up for it in the number of prominent executives, actors and artists Lee had worked with. On the screen inside the theater where Lee’s Marvel movie cameos played between speakers, video tributes came from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, William Shatner, and “Luke Cage” actor Mike Colter. Nearly everyone who spoke did their best impression of Lee’s gravelly voice and northeastern accent. Hammill may have been the best at it when he repeated what Lee said when asked how he stayed so youthful in old age. “Well Mark,” Hammill-as-Lee said, “I like to get up in the morning and worry very, very hard all day long.”<doc-sep>Kevin Smith woke up overwhelmed on Wednesday morning. The filmmaker was somewhat nervous about hosting the evening’s tribute to the late Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee. “I’m honored to send the old man off in this way, and all I have to do is not cry as profusely as I know I’m going to,” he told The Times shortly before the ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. “He was into the glitz and glamour, so he would’ve loved this,” continued Smith. “It wasn’t about fame for the guy, but mainstream acceptance for what he did, because for years, decades, he didn’t think what he was making was good enough. This is what he’s waited for his whole life, and mercifully, he got it.” Smith did have to hold back his tears when he recalled how he first met Lee by pitching his idol a role in the 1995 film “Mallrats,” and how he still couldn’t believe that they became true friends for the 25 years to follow. Advertisement “There was never a moment when I was disappointed by the humanity of Stan Lee,” Smith told fans while standing near Lee’s signature in concrete at the Hollywood landmark. “By inventing Spider-Man, the Avengers, so on and so forth, he helped us all build our morality, he helped us tell right from wrong while entertaining us.” 1 / 7 Jeff Knight portrays Cable, of the “Deadpool” movies, during a tribute to the late graphic novelist Stan Lee at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 7 “People mistake me for Stan Lee all the time,” said High Davis, while attending a tribute to the late graphic novelist at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 7 Damian Beirer and Stephanie Smith arrive as Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm for a tribute to the late graphic novelist Stan Lee at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 7 Fans stand outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to watch guests arrive for a tribute to the late graphic novelist Stan Lee on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 7 People dressed in superhero costumes pose for pictures on the red carpet during a tribute to the late graphic novelist Stan Lee at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 7 People dressed in superhero costumes pose for pictures on the red carpet during a tribute to the late graphic novelist Stan Lee at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 7 People dressed in superhero costumes pose for pictures on the red carpet during a tribute to the late graphic novelist Stan Lee at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Throughout the three-hour tribute — which included reels of Lee’s crowd-pleasing cameos in each of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies — Clark Gregg, Felicia Day, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Davidson, RZA and more shared their favorite memories of Lee, complete with their best impressions of his distinct voice. “He clearly loved what he was doing,” said “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill, “and he had such a personality that came across the pages.” Laurence Fishburne — who also performed a reading of Lee’s favorite poem, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” — confessed that, as a child, he resorted to stealing Marvel comics when the company raised the prices from 12 cents to 15 cents. “I had become an actor by the time they were 25 cents!” the “Ant-Man and the Wasp” actor said, laughing. “I was able to thank him for what he did for my life. It just opened my mind to the possibility that you could be more than what your surroundings said you were supposed to be.” Dwayne Johnson, William Shatner, George Takei, Mike Colter, David Tennant, Doug Jones and Ming-Na Wen also shared their thoughts via video messages. Said Wen, “Thank you for helping all of us to find the hero within ourselves.” Kevin Smith hosted the tribute to Stan Lee. (Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press) Advertisement Additionally, the evening included remarks from a slew of collaborators such as “Blade” creator Marc Wolfman, “Fantastic Four” creator George Perez, former Marvel executive Avi Arad, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and Nikki Frakes, who co-directed a 2011 documentary on Lee. While many of the recollections were heartfelt and complimentary, not all of them were strictly flattering. Gill Champion, the co-founder of Lee’s production company, POW! Entertainment, revealed that “even though he loved driving, he was the worst driver in the world.” And “Spider-Man: Homecoming” producer Amy Pascal recalled his grouchier side throughout her days at Sony. “I think there were some of these movies he didn’t like so much,” she said with a laugh. “He was pretty honest!” The event also included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s posthumous presentation of a key to the city, as well as a wreath-laying ceremony by the Veterans in Media & Entertainment and American Legion Hollywood Post 43, both of which counted Lee, a veteran, as a member. Advertisement All proceeds from the tribute — for which tickets ran upward of $150 a pop — benefited the Hero Initiative, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic-book creators, writers and artists in need. Nearly three months since Lee died at age 95, the event was nearly sold out, packed with fans dressed in character tees and elaborate cosplay outfits. Smith said he hopes that Hollywood’s gratitude toward Lee continues — particularly at the upcoming Oscars. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” nabbed an animated film nomination, “Avengers: Infinity War” is up for visual effects, and “Black Panther” is the first superhero movie ever included in the coveted best picture category. Said Smith to Lord, Miller and Pascal, “I can’t think of a better send-off than you guys going up there and picking up some tin.” Advertisement ashley.lee@latimes.com<doc-sep>Stan Lee’s catchphrase, Excelsior, means a lot of things to a lot of people, but loosely translated from Latin, it means “onward and upward.” After Wednesday night’s Stan Lee Tribute at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre, it’s safe to say that Stan the Man’s spirit is soaring even higher in that direction. Stars of comics, film, television, music, and politics, as well as some of Stan’s fellow veterans, gathered to pay tribute, and to get some sense of collective closure after Lee’s passing at the age of 95 last November. Seemingly everyone at last night’s event — aptly titled Excelsior! A Celebration of the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible & Uncanny Life of Stan Lee — has a personal memory of The Man, and SYFY WIRE was on the red carpet to hear some of those memories firsthand. “I think everybody’s here tonight because we’re celebrating the astonishing accomplishments, and the way this guy created these characters that manage to be transferred into so many different media, to be reborn … I just was watching Miles Morales, and just the fact that it sustains that says so much about what he did creatively,” Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) told SYFY WIRE. “It’s a huge part of American pop culture.” Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images “Excelsior means to me inspiration, and quality. It represents Stan, because he did more than write stories. Stan, working along with Jack [Kirby] and Steve [Ditko] and all of the co-creators that he had, they created a modern-day mythology for us, and they taught us valuable lessons,” said super producer Michael E. Uslan, the man behind pretty much every Batman movie since 1989. “Since I was a kid, the adventures of Spider-Man and others really did help form my own moral and ethical code. And everybody I talk to, it doesn’t matter what generation, it had that kind of impact on them." “Accelerating excellence. That’s what it says to me. I know it’s not verbatim, but that’s what I took away from it. Being around him was excellent,” said Black Eyed Peas member Taboo when asked what Excelsior means to him. “It was an excellent feeling of a person who inspired us through imagination, through creativity, the fact that he always stayed young with his mind, he continued to see what the pulse of the youth was with his writing. And that’s exactly what we do with our music. It’s a direct reflection of us being creative, and always wanting to hone into our craft. Stan Lee showed us that; he was a mentor, but also a great friend.” “Stan Lee is like the universal hero. He got every culture together by storytelling. He gave every community their own hero to follow, in fiction and actually in factual life,” said fellow Black Eyed Peas member apl.de.ap. “And Stan Lee shaped our imagination, especially coming from the ghetto, it gave us the freedom to imagine and create, and to be accepted around the world.” And yes, Stan had a favorite Black Eyed Peas song, which they performed in his honor the night the legend passed. “We paid homage to him, and we sang his favorite song, ‘Where’s the Love,’” said Taboo. “It was definitely there, and it’s here too.” Photo courtesy of POW! Entertainment/Agents of Mayhem/Legion M Clare Grant (The Guild) and husband Seth Green (Robot Chicken) were definitely feeling the love too. "For me working with Stan was absolutely incredible. I got to do it a few times, and each time he was wonderful, and giving, and it’s incredibly validating as a person in this business to work with him,” said Grant. “He knew the way that everyone felt about him, and he leaned into that. He let everyone feel that way, and he never let anyone feel foolish for loving him,” added Green. Wesley Snipes had a good time saying all four syllables of Ex-cel-si-or himself, and relayed to us the advice Stan gave him while playing Marvel’s first cinematic superhero, Blade. “Have fun, be creative," he said, while noting, "He liked the coat.” “Excelsior means imagination. Excelsior means seeing into the future, a future that is unknown, but is full of promise,” said Matthew Modine (Stranger Things). “Stan Lee has an impact on all our lives. And not just Stan Lee, but all those people that worked with him, and the world of imagination that they created. I mean, we often dismiss people that work in science fiction and comics, because it’s some kind of children’s fare. It’s through science fiction that things become science fact. … It’s important that those people that write science fiction inspire scientists to make those things become a future that is beneficial to all. I know that Stan Lee would like nothing more than to see a world — having fought in the second world war — that was full of peace and cooperation, and finding peaceful, logical solutions to problems between people rather than using violence.” Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images “Stan Lee meant the world to me. I always been a fan of Stan Lee, since I was a kid,” said singer/hype-man/actor/comics collector Flava Flav (Public Enemy). “I got to meet Stan Lee last year at the Comic-Con. Oh man, it was such a great moment for me, one of the most amazing moments of my life.” “He was a great improviser, we had like one take to improvise that he crushed. I would love to have a Stan Lee energy in everything I do,” said Ariela Barer of Lee’s cameo on Runaways. “He was a limo driver, and they were like, ‘One take, what if you know who he is?’ And I was like, ‘Do I know you?’ And he just made some quip that made everyone laugh too hard to keep the take.” “I wasn’t in that era with Kirby, when Stan was in the office every day. So when he would come in, it was really a special occasion. I mean, everyone would stop,” said comics all-star Bill Sienkiewicz (The New Mutants). “It’s like that old expression: 'Elvis has left the building.'<doc-sep>
Stan Lee may not have had the power of immortality, but his legacy and impact on pop culture will surely live on forever. Longtime friend and filmmaker Kevin Smith hosted “Excelsior! A Celebration of the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible & Uncanny Life of Stan Lee” at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday night. Lee, who died on Nov. 12 at age 95, helped create some of the most iconic superheroes in history for Marvel Comics, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and the X-Men. “I remember Stan meeting [‘Spider-Man’ star] Tom Holland for the first time,” Sean Gunn, one of the stars of “Guardians of the Galaxy” told Variety. “The thing you have to know about Stan is that he was always f—ing with people all the time. He never stopped doing it. He said, ‘Tom, everyone tells me that you’re the perfect Spider-Man, but I can’t see it.’ Tom’s face fell and Stan laughed. He looked around and winked at the people who knew he was messing around.” Smith first met Lee while filming “Mallrats” in 1995 after writing a small role specifically for the comic legend. A short meeting about how inaccurate the character was to Lee’s actual persona soon led to a 23-year friendship. “He never gave me any advice, which was so awesome because that’s what a friend is. He doesn’t tell you how to live your life. He just enjoys the life that you live,” Smith told Variety. “He never gave me advice, but he gave me so much more than that. That man lived the life, where I was like, ‘I’m gonna borrow that, gonna borrow that, gonna borrow that.’ He was never like, ‘Kev, be like me.’ I just chose to be like him.” Michael Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock The celebration began with a police flag-raising ceremony outside the TCL Chinese Theatre and a salute by Veterans in Media & Entertainment to Lee, who served in World War II. The veterans group presented a memorial flag to his daughter, J.C. Lee. Inside, Smith hosted several star-studded panels to remember the impact Lee had on so many people’s lives and careers. Without Lee’s early comics, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller wouldn’t have had the inspiration for their Oscar-nominated film. “Our first encounter with him was at eight years old reading comic books. We first met him when we were 20 years old and snuck into a Comic-Con after-party and ran up to him. Any other person would’ve totally been calling security over,” Miller said. “Reading his notes to the readers in those pages was the first time we felt part of something bigger. He made ordinary people feel extraordinary. To me, that’s his legacy.” In the final pages of many of his comics, Lee penned “Stan’s Soapbox,” letters he wrote that spoke to the reader in a humorous, honest way. Few other creators developed such a direct relationship with their legions of adoring fans. “He had such a personality that came across the pages,” “Star Wars” star Mark Hamill said during a panel. “He put a human face on what it was like to work for a comic company. He had catchphrases, like ‘Excelsior,’ and ‘Stan’s Soapbox.’ You really felt like you knew him. He branded that company. He was the figurehead. He was the guy, Stan the Man.” “Stan’s Soapbox” also united fans of all backgrounds and championed respect, equality, and diversity. One of the most famous letters from 1969 that condemned bigotry went viral following his death. Wu-Tang Clan member and filmmaker RZA repeated Lee’s words to a hushed audience. Michael Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock “Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. But unlike a team of costumed supervillains, they can’t be halted with a punch in the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose them — to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are,” he read. “Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill out hearts with tolerance.” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti honored him with a posthumous key to the city. The one-of-kind key was made from solid brass and wood from a fallen tree in the San Fernando Valley, where Lee spent a lot of time.