The word “legend” has become an overused term in the modern world that’s often bandied about too easily. Over time, it slowly became devalued, and is now even used as a slang term — even hyperbole forthe guy who slips and doesn’t spill his drink. All this depreciation of the word has made us lose sight of what a legendary person actually is.
However, one man who is truly a legend isStan Lee,because achievements and legacies like his don’t come around very often. It’s hard to truly put into words what an impact he’s had on the world. Comic books and superheros may have once seemed like the realm of loners and nerds. But now, theMCUhas shown us just how significant they actually are as pop culture influences.
At the heart of it all, superhero fans everywhere have Stan Lee to thank. As one of Marvel’s writers and later, its editor-in-chief, Stan Lee was directly and indirectly responsible for creating over 300 amazing characters.In honor of him, here are the 20 most famous MCU characters that were created by Stan Lee.
20She-Hulk — 1979
Adding to the strong female comic characters that were around by the late ’70s,She-Hulkwas created by Stan Lee and artist John Buscema.
The cousin of Bruce Banner, she gained her powers after receiving an emergency transfusion using Banner’s blood. One of the icons of female superheroes, she’s become every bit as cool and iconic as her male counterpart.
Related:Marvel Writer Says One Stan Lee Rule Directly Influenced MCU’s Use Of Post-Credits Scenes
An Underrated MCU Role
While She-HulK has been introducd through her own series in the MCU, it’sunclear how much of a role she will playin the franchise’s upcoming projects. Either way, she’s already stamped her legacy on it and remains one of its most famous characters through her rich comic book legacy.
19Quicksilver — 1964
Avengers 2
A later addition to the X-Men world created during the Silver Age of comics,Quicksilverwas created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1964. A speedster with an infamous lineage, he isthe sister of Wanda Maximoffand a pretty cool character. Unfortunately, we never got to see enough of him inThe Avengersfilms, even though he and Wanda were a large part of the team in the comics.
Related:Will MCU Fans See Evan Peters Return to the Franchise?
Quicksilver’s Time on Screen Was Over Too Quick
Making way so that Wanda could shine more as The Scarlet Witch, Pietro Maximoff was killed off after making just one appearance in the MCU. However, the character has had other memorable turns in theX-Menfilms, where he was involved in some of its most jaw-dropping scenes.
18Aunt May — 1962
Created as a collaboration between Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962,Aunt Mayhas become an iconic and influential character. While she’s usually depicted as an older woman and the doting aunt of Peter Parker, the MCU’s portrayal of her provided an amazing re-imagining.
A Fresh Take on a Classic Character
With Marisa Tomei taking up the role in the MCU, Aunt May was presented as a younger and more vibrant character. Nevertheless, she retained her classic charm and love for her nephew Peter.
Ina tragic twistin the MCU, we saw a brilliant role reversal, as Tomei’s Aunt May took Uncle Ben’s place and utter the famous line, “with great power must come great responsibility.”
While she may not be an iconic hero, she’s one of the many famous supporting characters Stan Lee played a large part in creating. Other important and famous side characters created by Lee include MJ, Gwen Stacy, Jane Foster, Janet Van Dyne, and many amazing villains like Dr. Octopus, Kingpin, Dr. Doom, and Galactus.
17The Fantastic Four — 1961
Fantastic Four
While we’ve yet to see the full breadth of these amazing characters in the modern MCU, we’ve already seen a memorable cameo by John Krasinski as Reed Richards.The Fantastic Fouris a team of enhanced individuals with unique powers. There’s already been movies featuring them, with Chris Evansfamously playing The Human Torch first, before he later immortalized the role of Captain America.
The ’60s Was an Era of Heroes
Stan Lee created The Fantastic Four in 1961 with his famous partner, Jack Kirby. They’ve since grown to become some of the coolest and most popular characters from Marvel’s incredible inventory of superheroes. Their wider use in the MCU is in the works, and fanscan’t wait to see their full introductioninto the franchise.
16Groot — 1960
I Am Groot
James Gunn’s awesomeGuardians of the Galaxyfilms struck a chord with audiences, and made these heroes a definitive part of the franchise. As far as lovable characters go,Groothas become a runaway fan favorite. He hassome pretty amazing gifts, and although he can only say the words “I am Groot,” he somehow manages to always melt hearts.
A Lovable Tree
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby created Groot in 1960. A lovable tree-like structure, he can control all plant life using psychokinesis, and often finds a way to save the day in some amazing ways. However, it’s his comedic elements anditeration as Baby Grootin the MCU that truly stole the hearts of audiences.
15Hawkeye — 1964
Another awesome character created from that era wasHawkeye. Clint Barton may lack the strength, resources, and other gifts of his more illustrious teammates in the Avengers, but he’s always found a way to bean invaluable member of the team. Jeremy Renner’s great portrayal throughout the MCU further popularized the character, who is a deadly assassin with his arsenal of arrows.
Related:MCU: Hawkeye’s Best Moments in the Franchise, Ranked
Another Fruitful Collaboration
Created in collaboration with Don Heck this time, Stan Lee brought Hawkeye to life in 1964. The pair drew their inspiration for the character from a desire to create a Robin Hood-like character with modern underpinnings.
14Black Widow — 1964
Black Widow
Originally appearing inTales of Suspense #52in 1964,Black Widowwas first created as a Russian spy and antagonist for Iron Man. Over time, her popularity grew, and she became more like the character we know from the MCU today.
A Contentious History
Co-created by Stan Lee in collaboration with Don Rico and Don Heck, she was initially a figure that perpetuated female stereotypes and underlying sexism. As a piece by Zachary Grabillwriting for Liberty Universityexplains:
The earliest version of “Nat” was that of a Russian spy, villain, and temptress. Her origin began as the formulaic damsel in distress, and much of her character was based off sexist stereotypes from the 1960’s.
Thankfully, the character was later reshaped into an awesome, strong female lead character, with Scarlett Johannson owning the role anddoing the character justice.
13The Green Goblin — 1964
Spider-Man 3 / Spider-Man: No Way Home
He’s become one of the most famous Marvel villains, with iterations on screen that have now seen him cross the multiverse. The brilliant scientist, Norman Osborne, later becomes known as theGreen Goblin. His brilliant depiction on screen by Willem Dafoe has made the character a highly popular one in modern pop culture.
Green Goblin Is One of the Most Memorable Villains
Created by Stan Lee in collaboration with Steve Ditko and David Koepp, the Green Goblin usually plagues Spider-Man. The role of the villain was a mantle later taken up by his son, Harry Osborne (played by James Franco in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manfilms).
When Defoe’s Green Goblin appeared inSpider-Man: No Way Home, and redid epic lines like"You know, I’m something of a scientist myself", it made for one of the most exciting parts of the film.
12Doctor Strange — 1963
Doctor Strange
A collaboration between Stan Lee and Steve Ditko,Doctor Strangeis easily one of Marvel’s coolest characters. A brilliant surgeon, he later studies and masters the mystic arts to become a sorcerer of immense power.
He’s also become one of the leading characters in the MCU, with his parts often making forsome of the most mind-bending scenesfrom it.
Originally the brainchild of Ditko, Stan Lee’s input helped shape the character. He’s had a long and proud history in the comics, and is one of its most complex characters. A wonderful mix of brilliance and flaws, Benedict Cumberbatch’s amazing portrayal of him has been a thing of beauty.
11Ant-Man — 1962
What Doctor Strange brings in coolness,Ant-Manbrings in likability. An awesome character with the ability to shrink down or grow his size to epic proportions, it’s oftenAnt-Man’s spunky reputationas the funny little guy that makes him such a beloved character.
Related:MCU: Ant-Man’s Best Moments, Ranked
A Winning Formula for Humor and Success
Another collaboration between Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man first appeared in 1962. As the character’s popularity grew, he branched out and became a mantle.
Originally the brilliant scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Ant-Man was later passed down to Scott Lang. Paul Rudd’s amazing depiction of the character in the MCU has firmly embedded him asone of the most likable charactersfrom it.
