It looks like Captain Marvel fans can check out a Stan Lee cameo even off of the big screen.
The Instagram account Magic_Kingdom_Mamas recently posted to their Instagram story, revealing a hidden Easter egg at Disneyland‘s Captain Marvel meet and greet. In a photo, which you can check out below, a nearby crate of equipment can be seen sporting a series of numbers and letters — which reference Stan, his birthday, and the date of his death.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While the Easter egg might not be super noticeable to some parkgoers, it does prove to be a pretty fitting tribute. It also adds even more reverence to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s recent tributes of Lee, seeing as Captain Marvel is the first film in the franchise to be released following his passing last year.
As fans who have seen the film know, Captain Marvel opens with a unique version of the Marvel Studios logo, with Lee’s various cameo appearances getting the spotlight. Within the film itself, Lee could briefly be seen on a train when Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) tries to locate a runaway Skrull. Lee, who can be seen rehearsing his line for his cameo in Smith’s Mallrats, briefly looks up and smiles at Carol, signifying that he’s not the Skrull in question.
“Instead of just the pure laugh we had, we had a little bit of a smile from Captain Marvel in response to it, and she kind of breaks character for a moment,” Captain Marvel co-director Anna Boden explained in a recent interview. “I think it reflects a little bit of what the audience is feeling, and we allowed that to happen.”
“It’s sad. I mean it feels like one of the first red carpets without him, this being the first Marvel Studios film released without him, you know,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige echoed at the film’s London premiere. “Frankly, we feel like all the films we’ve made are a tribute to his work and we’re always trying to do our best and do right by he and all his co-creators. This one, though, is particularly important since it’s the first one. So, yes his cameo and this film sort of begins as a celebration to Stan and his legacy.”
Captain Marvel is in theaters now. It will be followed by Avengers: Endgame on April 26th, and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th.