‘Deadpool’ Star Ryan Reynolds Reacts to Stan Lee’s Death

Ryan Reynolds was among the first celebrities to post a tribute to Stan Lee on Monday when the comic book legend passed away.

Lee passed away early in the morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to a report by TMZ. He was 95 years old, and credited with some of the most influential comic book writing of all time. Lee made Marvel comics what it is, and by extension sowed the seeds for its various film adaptations, so it makes sense that Ryan Reynolds posted a stunned tribute to Twitter on Monday.

“Damn… RIP Stan,” he wrote. “Thanks for everything.”

Reynolds included a photo of Lee in Deadpool, where he played the enthusiastic DJ at the strip club where Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) worked.

Fans flooded Reynolds’ replies with their own tributes and eulogies, mourning Lee as a pop-cultural powerhouse as well as a charming person. Lee was known for being gregarious, generous and fun to work with, even as he approached 100 years old.

“RIP Stan Lee, utter legend and creator of some of the greatest characters in the history of entertainment,” one fan agreed. “Excelsior.”

“My husband always hoped that Deadpool would say, ‘Hey, Stan. How’s it going?’ to one of Stan Lee’s characters in the movies,” revealed another.

Many fans mourned the loss of Lee’s cameos, and wondered when his last one would be. The famed creator had appeared in every Marvel film adaptation with a different brief role, usually as a bystander or a passerby to some heroic act. He last appeared with Reynolds in Deadpool 2, where his subtle cameo came in the form of a painting of his face on the side of a building.

Lee’s IMDb page lists his appearance in Venom — where he played a character called “Dapper Dog Walker” — as his last superhero movie cameo. The only other thing he is credited for acting in is a documentary about method acting where he plays himself, which is in post-production.

However, it is not unlikely that Lee has a little more screen time left in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Principal photography on the still-untitled Avengers 4 wrapped back in January, with a little extra filming done in September and October. That left plenty of time for Lee to get in an appearance, and the massive cross-over would make a grand exit for him after all these years.

Lee is survived by his daughter, J.C., who spoke confirmed his passing to reporters.

“My father loved all of his fans,” she said. “He was the greatest, most decent man.”

His wife, Joan, passed away last year after 69 years of marriage. Lee’s exact cause of death has not been revealed, though he suffered from various illnesses over the last several months.