AWESOME CON SUNDAY PANEL: Stan Lee Q&A!
One last panel before I sign off from all the awesome Awesome Con coverage. Oh, I’ll still have a wrap-up post with my favorite cosplay, merch folks, and overall thoughts. But right now, let’s get to The Man, shall we?
As with the David Tennant panel, the place was jam-packed with folks dying to see The Man up close. Or close-ish. The great thing about the Main Stage was that there were many wonderful vantage points. I was sitting in the second section, behind a slew of folks, and still got to see Stan clearly. And, of course, hear him answer questions.
The big question, of course, was how he liked the spacesuit he wore in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Once he suited up, he said “I can’t move!…That’s why the Watcher doesn’t do much. He can’t move!” But Lee also said he was absolutely certain he wanted to do that cameo. He did it “…so people would know [the MCU is all] connected.”
When asked about the character he was surprised people liked, he didn’t hesitate; the Incredible Hulk. Lee “didn’t know if the public would love him as much as I do.” The Hulkster is also the only character where Lee had a definite idea of what the superhero should look like. “He should be green,” he said. That, and having the Fantastic Four in plain clothes – something the fans outvoted him on as the series continued, “you wanted costumes, we gave you costumes!” – are the only two stylistic bits Lee has had an opinion on. Lee leaves the design of the superhero to the artists. “I’m not a costume designer…You can tell by the way I dress!”
Lee’s tippy-top favorite creations in his vast stable? The Hulk, Iron Man, Silver Surfer. But getting him to winnow ‘em down was tough. “I’m my biggest fan. I love them all!” As for things outside of the Marvel Universe, Lee counts William Shakespeare as one of his favorites. “I hate to admit it, but he’s probably a better writer than I am,” he deadpanned.
With his stories having such wonderful themes, someone asked him if he ever thought about if he had a line he tries not to cross when it comes to putting messages into his stories. Is there ever too much? “I’m a writer, not a clergyman,” Lee answered, “I try not to overdo it.” But Lee does want the X-Men series to continue “forever…I want it to teach people we’re all the same.” “Do unto others…If you treat people the way you want to be treated, we’d have zero problems, “ Lee continued. “So go out there and start treating people [well], and stop wasting time.” When push comes to shove with Lee’s storytelling? “Write a story you’d enjoy reading.”
As for Spider-Man, while Lee was certain that this story would be a hit, his publisher wasn’t so sure. In fact, Lee said that he got a very definitive reaction; “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard!” Luckily, the story took off, and Lee was asked to do more. Thank goodness!
As for a DC/Marvel crossover event film? Lee says there’d be issues there, “not creatively, but legally.” With so many different owners of so many superheroes, it’d be tough to wrangle ‘em all. (A thought I had with the film adaptation of Ready Player One…but thankfully it’s looking like things are coming together nicely on that score.) Naturally, there was a lot of good-natured trash talking on DC. Of course.
But the thing I got the most excited about was a wisp of a hint of a possibility. Someone asked about Namor the Sub-Mariner, and if we’d get to see him in action, and while Lee said Namor isn’t in anything right now, the Marvel moderator murmured “Not yet…!” Then they discussed the Namor/Human Torch throwdowns of the past, and talked of the MCU possibilities. “And you all better go out and see it!” Lee joked. Oh Mr. Lee. I will. I WILL.
