Netflix is remembering Stan Lee in their own unique way: by adding a special Easter egg for users to discover in their search bar. Sadly, Lee passed away last week at the age of 95, and the entire entertainment industry came together to commemorate his long-standing and never-ending legacy in the world of comics, television, and movies, particularly as they relate to the numerous Marvel productions, despite many of them not being under Marvel Entertainment's purview.
On social media, the vast majority of people paid tribute to Lee by posting pictures of either Lee or themselves with Lee online. Others honored him in different ways, such as the original six Avengers stars taking out a magazine advertisement to say that they love him and they will miss him. Those are sentiments that millions of people around the world are feeling right now, and they are each expressing their gratitude for Lee's creations at Marvel Comics in different ways, some of which are quite unique... like Netflix's small, but warm tribute.
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In Netflix's search bar, if users type in "Excelsior" - Stan Lee's personal catchphrase as well as the motto of the state of New York, which is where most Marvel Comics stories are centered - the streaming service will populate results for all of their Marvel-related content. Furthermore, the results come up with two options for people to choose from in order to refine their search terms: "Manzotti: Excelsior" and "Stan Lee's Universe." Selecting "Stan Lee's Universe" will generate only Marvel content. In place of a Marvel category, this Easter egg is a perfect way to find all of Netflix's Marvel movies and TV shows without having to search for them individually.
It's unclear how long this Stan Lee Easter egg will remain on Netflix for, considering that, in 2019, all the Marvel Studios movies at Netflix will transfer over to Disney's upcoming streaming service, Disney Plus. But since the Easter egg search also pulls up other Marvel-themed content, such as Sony Pictures' Spider-Man 3 as well as Netflix's Marvel TV shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, it seems rather likely that it will stay active for quite some time.
What's more, classifying the content under "Stan Lee's Universe" goes to show that, despite Marvel Studios producing the bulk of Marvel-themed content for the big screen, there are plenty of other studios out there that are making Marvel movies and TV shows. It's just that those productions don't connect to the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe that has dominated the box office in recent years. Regardless of what people want to find on Netflix, the streaming giant adding this small, but heartwarming Easter egg for Stan Lee is touching.