Original 6 Avengers Actors Pay Tribute to Stan Lee With Magazine Ad

Screen Rant

By Becca Bleznak

Published Nov 14, 2018

The actors who portrayed the original 6 Avengers in the MCU have paid tribute to late legend Stan Lee with a simple and touching message.

The original Avengers actors from the 2012 MCU film The Avengers have paid tribute to the late Stan Lee with an ad in a print magazine. News of the Marvel legend's death broke on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, when his daughter told TMZ that he had been rushed to the hospital early that morning, before passing away. He was 95 years old.

Lee is known for creating many beloved Marvel characters, beginning with the Fantastic Four in the 1960s. Alongside friend and collaborator Jack Kirby, he went on to shape the future of comics forever. He began making cameo appearances in Marvel films in the 1980s, and has shown up in every installment of the MCU. Since his passing, fans have paid tribute to him with flowers and gifts at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and many of the actors, directors, and studio heads he worked with took to Twitter to pay their own respects. But this ad is a deviation, given its print format.

Matthew Belloni, Editorial Director at The Hollywood Reporter, shared the ad on his own Twitter account, stating that it would appear in this week's issue of the print publication. The simple ad features a gray Avengers symbol on a black background. Written over that in white text is the following message: "We acknowledge his creative contribution, the thousands of men and women it has long employed, the millions that will continue to be entertained, and above all, his inimitable wit, grace, and humility. Stan, we love you, we will miss you, we're grateful to represent a small part of your amazing legacy." At the bottom, six names are listed: Scarlett J, Chris H, Mark R, Robert D, Jeremy R, and Chris E.

The brief but touching message comes from the stars of The Avengers, Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), and Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America). All of them have of course continued being an integral part of the Marvel Universe since that film. Just like the characters they play, the actors have grown close over the years, appearing in film after film together. Not only are they acknowledging how Lee helped shape their careers, but they also had the chance to get to know him as a person.

Though the Marvel Universe will never be the same without Lee, it'll continue. There's a plan (though not a public one) as to where things will go following the end of Phase 3 with Avengers 4. In fact, it's possible that we will see Lee on screen several more times: He filmed cameos for Captain Marvel and Avengers 4, and may have filmed others. It will be interesting to see how his absence affects the universe in the future.