Ranking All 30 of Stan Lee's Marvel Cameos To Date

30. Daredevil (2015)

In one of the most underwhelming cameos to date, Stan Lee doesn't even appear onscreen in the Netflix series Daredevil. See that photo and plaque on the wall in the background? There he is. Then again, his zippy one-liners would feel out of place in the dark and gritty streets of Hell's Kitchen.

29. Jessica Jones (2015)

Lee's cameo in Jessica Jones is literally the exact same one as in Daredevil. The plaque and photo can be seen in this image. It's the same police station, but they've obviously rearranged the decor a bit. It's a nice nod, but a bit boring.

28. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

During a ceremony where Steve Rogers is to be honored, a man appears on the stage to inform the presenter that he's not coming. Lee plays a general who mistakes the man for Captain America, uttering "I thought he'd be taller." It's a bland joke and a short, superfluous scene.

27. Iron Man 2 (2010)

For the second Iron Man film in a row, Tony Stark mistakes Lee for a famous old man. This time, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, it is Larry King. It's not as amusing as the first Iron Man cameo, and feels like a mediocre retread.

26. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Stan's brief appearance in Iron Man 3 is mildly more amusing than its predecessor, as he offers an enthusiastic 10 to a beauty pageant contestant on a television.

25. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S1 E13: T.R.A.C.K.S.] (2014)

It's always nice to see big faces on TV spin-offs, so Stan's moment in the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a welcome surprise. While Coulson and Simmons are incognito, playing the part of an arguing brother and sister, Lee chimes in and chides the former for being a bad brother and urges him to take this chance to be better. It's entertaining, but the women hanging off of Lee's arms feel a bit tacky.

24. Daredevil (2003)

During the 2003 Daredevil film starring Ben Affleck, there is a flashback scene which shows a young Matt Murdock at a crosswalk. Stan Lee is standing next to him reading the newspaper, and would have walked right into the road in front of a bus if lil' Murdock hadn't stopped him. It's a subtle appearance, but it's serviceable.

23. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

For all intents and purposes, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was pretty mediocre. That includes Lee's cameo. As Peter Parker slings into a hut next to his graduation ceremony, Stan notices him walk out accidentally still wearing the Spider-Man mask. He exclaims, "Hey, I think I know that guy," but nobody seems to care. It might be worth a brief chuckle, but as soon as the scene is over you'll likely forget it.

22. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Lee's cameo in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is far from the only time he appears with a lady or two at his side. In Guardians of the Galaxy he shows up only briefly, through the scope of Rocket's scanning device while looking for a good bounty to grab. He takes note of the young woman with the old man and calls him a "class-A prevert." No, that's not a typo.

21. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

In The Incredible Hulk Lee plays a character that would need to be there regardless of who he was played by. He's the unwitting recipient of a toxic beverage as he drinks from a soda bottle that accidentally had a drop of Bruce Banner's blood in it. The scene is pure exposition and he serves a purpose, which makes it actually a decent cameo.

20. Fantastic Four (2005)

Incredibly uncommon is for Stan Lee to actually play a character he helped create, but he did just that in 2005's Fantastic Four when he portrayed the mailman Willie Lumpkin. He's a minor character in the comics, but it's still nice to see his role brought to life by one of his creators.

19. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

They say that not all heroes wear capes, and in Spider-Man 2 Lee got the chance to be the hero for a woman in peril. As Spider-Man and Doc Ock fought overhead a lot of rubble and debris was falling onto innocent bystanders below. Lee pulls a woman out of the way just before getting hit, yelling for her to look out. The only reason why this bit isn't higher is because it's another case of retreading, as he saved someone in a similar fashion in the first Spider-Man film.

18. X-Men (2000)

The year 2000 was a time before the great comic book movie boom, and before the common public knew what Stan Lee looked like. X-Men was his first onscreen cameo for a big-budget comic film, and his motionless hotdog vendor role likely passed right by many fans upon first viewing. Little did any of us know what kind of a precedent he set for himself back at the turn of the century.

17. Spider-Man (2002)

Before saving a woman from falling debris in Spider-Man 2, Lee pulled a little girl to safety from - you guessed it - falling debris in 2002's Spider-Man. This rubble was from Spidey's battle with the Green Goblin, and the life saved is arguably more impactful because it's a young girl instead of a grown woman. Either way, it's all in a day's work for your friendly neighborhood comic book writer.

16. The Avengers (2012)

In cheeky antithesis to what his actual reaction would likely be, Stan pops up in a news broadcast at the end of The Avengers to scoff at the mere notion of superheroes being in New York. The irony of this statement coming from this man is definitely amusing.

15. Thor (2011)

Upon Thor's banishment to Earth (or Midgard), his mighty hammer Mjolnir slams to the ground in the middle of New Mexico. Soon the phenomenon is surrounded by pick-up trucks and trailer hitches as everyone wants to be the one to make the hammer budge. Lee humorously plays one of the many people attempting to move Mjolnir, with his truck coming away a bit worse for wear.

14. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Before the climactic finale to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers tells his allies to suit up if they've got a suit. He absconds with his original duds that are on display at the Smithsonian museum, where a surprised Stan Lee laments that he is "so fired" upon seeing the bare mannequin.

13. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Sometimes simple is best. Instead of a zippy one-liner or a run-in with a superhero, in X-Men: The Last Stand Stan gazes, dumbfounded, as water spouts from his hose in every which way. This is caused by a young Jean Grey showing her powers to Professor X and Magneto, and is a surprisingly effective scene and clever use of The Man's cameo.

12. Agent Carter [S1 E4: The Blitzkrieg Button] (2015)

Stan Lee feels right at home in the 1940s world of Agent Carter, especially when sat next to the ever-charming Dominic Cooper and James D'Arcy as Howard Stark and Edwin Jarvis respectively. He shares a shoe shine with Stark and Jarvis, covering his face during the bulk of the scene with a newspaper. Once the guys have finished their conversation Lee reveals his face and asks Stark for the sports section.

11. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

As a normal human man, Erik Selvig came away from his possession in The Avengers with a few extra eccentricities, so in the beginning of Thor: The Dark World he's staying in a mental hospital. After explaining in excruciating detail (and a few random shoes) an event called the Convergence, a decidedly bored and bemused Stan Lee asks for his shoe back. It's a legitimately funny scene, especially when you consider that Lee may be in the nut house, but he's not crazy enough to pay any mind to this scientist flailing footwear about.

10. Hulk (2003)

Two things make this appearance special. Not only is it Lee's first speaking cameo, but he shares the moment with another incredible cameo - that of Lou Ferrigno, well known for playing Hulk in the 1980s TV series.

9. Ant-Man (2015)

Michael Peña's character Luis was a frequent scene stealer in Ant-Man; particularly hilarious were his "hot tips," wherein he voiced over rapid-cutaway flashback scenes. Near the film's end he's talking about a friend who's with a woman at a bar, who he describes as "mad stupid fine." Stan Lee plays the bartender serving this man, and agrees (in Peña's voice, of course) that the woman is, indeed, mad stupid fine. It's a brilliant little moment.

8. Iron Man (2008)

Before either joke was played out, Stan Lee appeared in 2008's Iron Man with two women by his side, getting mistaken by Tony Stark as Hugh Hefner. With the fancily dressed ladies accompanying him while donning a pipe and swanky robe, this marked Lee's most luxurious cameo to date.

7. Deadpool (2016)

One of Lee's latest cameos is in the no-holds-barred, fourth-wall breaking Deadpool, which is surprising enough on its own, being his first appearance in an R-rated flick. Where he shows up is even more surprising and entertaining, as the DJ of the strip club where Wade Wilson's girlfriend Vanessa works. He introduces the upcoming dancer Chastity, while topless women dance on stage in the same scene. Saucy, Stan.

6. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Following the opening mission in Avengers: Age of Ultron where the team retrieves Loki's staff, they celebrate at Avengers Tower with friends and comrades. Lee plays a World War II veteran at the party, bantering with Thor about how he won't have a problem handling some Asgardian booze that Thor claims "isn't for mortal men." The scene promptly cuts away to Lee being dragged away in a drunken stupor, muttering one of his most iconic sayings, "Excelsior!" It's an excellent sign-off to one of his best cameos.

5. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

There's no debating that Spider-Man 3 was a bit of a flop, but Lee's appearance holds up as one of his greatest. While both seeing an announcement that Spider-Man will be gifted a key to the city, Lee looks at Peter Parker and says, "You know, I guess one person *can* make a difference. 'Nuff said." It's a brief but meaningful bit of inspiration for the web-slinger, and that tag at the end is another one of Lee's classic sign-offs. It all makes for an excellent 10 seconds onscreen.

4. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

To truly appreciate this cameo you have to know the content that is specifically being referenced. In the 1965 comic Fantastic Four Annual #3, Stan Lee and co-conspirator Jack Kirby are turned away from the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in a comical way. Kirby passed back in the '90s, but Lee was able to recreate the scene on his own in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. It's amusing without the context, but truly great when you know the story behind it.

3. Big Hero 6 (2014)

At first it seemed that Lee's cameo in the animated flick Big Hero 6 would be as lackluster as the Netflix series, as he only appeared in a picture during the film. He's portrayed as Fred's dad who isn't around much anymore. The bit part was made much better when he showed up in the end-credits scene (this is a Marvel film, after all), where he reunited with Fred and they bonded over the way they both turn their underwear inside out and backwards to avoid doing laundry. It's a funny and touching reunion, and Lee just looks so dang slick in his first computer-animated role.

2. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

In one of his latest appearances Lee approaches Tony Stark and James Rhodes in Captain America: Civil War as a FedEx delivery man. He's got a parcel for Stark, but mistakenly reads the recipient as Tony Stank. Rhodey replies that yes, this is Tony Stank, and thanks the delivery man for what promises to be ammunition for years of teasing his friend. It's honestly one of the funniest moments in the entire film.

1. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Stan Lee's greatest cameo to date has to be his scene in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man. As Spidey and the Lizard are duking it out they bash through a wall into a library, where Lee the librarian is listening to some relaxing classical music with what have got to be the world's greatest noise-cancelling headphones. The oblivious man grabs his lunch bag and saunters out of the room, still enjoying his tunes as the battle rages on behind him. Spider-Man even keeps a thrown table from knocking him out. It's an incredibly entertaining and unforgettable scene in an otherwise forgettable film.

Ranking All 30 of Stan Lee’s Marvel Cameos To Date