The first trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage already revealed the movie's secret Stan Lee Easter egg. Sony launched their attempt for a Spider-Man spinoff universe in 2018 with Tom Hardy's Venom. Although the movie received a mixed reception, the film was a massive box office hit and gave the studio confidence to pursue Venom 2. The sequel sees Tom Hardy return as Eddie Brock and Woody Harrelson playing Cletus Kasidy aka Carnage after having a cameo at the end of the last movie. It is under the direction of Andy Serkis that Venom: Let There Be Carnage looks to top what came before.
Fans waited a long time to see the first Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer and the footage included several Easter eggs for fans to catch. There are continued references to the larger Spider-Man world and a possible reference to the Avengers - although the movie is not confirmed to take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity. The Venom 2 trailer also shows a further commitment to the goofy dynamic between Eddie and Venom, and it also provided the first look at Carnage's symbiotic form. But, there is also a nod to the late great Stan Lee.
The legendary Marvel Comics creator became a staple of Marvel movies by making cameos in just about every film released during the 2000s. Sadly, Stan Lee passed away in 2018. His last Marvel movie appearance came in Avengers: Endgame. Since Venom: Let There Be Carnage didn't begin filming until long after Lee's death, there was no chance for him to film a cameo for the sequel. However, the Venom 2 trailer confirms he'll still be featured as an Easter egg. When Eddie is shown walking into a convenience store, Stan Lee's face is briefly featured on the cover of a magazine that Eddie passes. You can see him in the bottom right of the photo below:
This Stan Lee Easter egg in Venom: Let There Be Carnage allows the movie to still pay respect to Lee. Even though he did not create Eddie Brock or Venom, Lee already appeared in the original movie. His cameo came near the end of Venom and had him talk to Eddie after he said goodbye to Anne Weying. Stan Lee's character seemed to know that Eddie and Venom are one being, and the scene was a fun surprise for viewers at the end of the movie.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the latest Marvel movie to include Stan Lee's face in some fashion as an Easter egg to fans after his passing. Deadpool 2 included a Stan Lee cameo with the icon's face on the side of a building as a giant mural, but Spider-Man: Far From Home and Dark Phoenix are among the Marvel movies to not feature a tribute. The approach Venom 2 is taking is quite similar to what several Marvel TV shows did actually. As unfortunate as it is that Stan Lee can't make an actual cameo in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, this is as good of an Easter egg as fans could hope for.
