There’s no doubt that one day a Stan Lee biopic will be made, and it would be pretty cool if Marvel Studios madethat happen. But, who would direct that movie? Well, Kevin Smith is throwing his name into the hat.
During a live episode of FatMan Beyond, the filmmaker was asked what biopic he would most be interested in directing and he responded, “Stan Lee would make an amazing biopic….I don’t think I’m talented to tell that story though. I think I’m only good enough to do the Kevin Smith biopic, but if somebody was like here’s a blank check and you can do whatever you want, as far as biopics go I think I would try to go with Stan Lee.”
It’s no secret that Smith idolized Lee, and he even cast him in his classic film Mallrats. It was Stan Lee’s feature film debut and that led to his appearing in all kinds of projects over the years including his awesome streak of cameos in the Marvel films.
Smith posted a heartfelt tribute to Lee upon his death, writing, “Outside of my parents, you were the one adult who gave me the most useful life skills I still use today. Thank you, Stan, for making me not only the boy I was but also the man I am today. You had great power and you always used it responsibly, fostering billions of dreamers who all know your name – a name written in the stars for all time. You were not just the literary titan of comic books, you were our modern day Mark Twain. I will miss you all my days, my friend and hero. Excelsior forevermore.”
I think it would be pretty cool if Smith eventually got the opportunity to make a Stan Lee biopic. I’d be very curious to see how he would handle it, but I bet he’d do it in a fun and creative way.
Lee previously expressed interest in having a film made about him, and at one point there were even discussions with Leonardo DiCaprio about starring in it. In regards to that Lee said, “Doing a movie of my life, with him playing me, and I said, ‘I’m not sure you’re good-looking enough. We’ll test you, see how you look, see how it comes out, don’t get too excited, we’ll let you know.”
On top of that, in 2020, there was a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby biopic script making the rounds titled Excelsior!, which would have told the story about the creation of Marvel Comics and its two primary architects. That script made The Black List of best-unproduced screenplays.
As of right now, there are no current plans that I know of regarding a Stan Lee biopic, but maybe Smith could help put it into motion. Even if he doesn’t direct it, I imagine just to be a part of it as a producer pushing it forward would be cool for Smith. What do you all think?