Writer and director Kevin Smith recently revealed the one condition that comic book legend Stan Lee had to appear in Mallrats. Panned by critics and a disappointment at the box office, the 1995 comedy movie was not an immediate success for Smith. But thanks to its self-aware geekiness, witty dialogue, and an appearance by the late Stan “The Man” Lee, Mallrats has gone on to cult classic status since its release nearly three decades ago.
In a video for GQ, in which he broke down his most iconic films, Smith shared an anecdote in which he discussed how Lee’s cameo came about. The filmmaker stated that he had written the role as a Stan Lee-type comic book guru, but producer Jim Jacks, who knew Lee, suggested that Smith rewrite the script to include the Spider-Man co-creator. He obliged, and Jacks sent the script to Lee, which led to a call to Smith from Stan himself. It was during that phone call that Lee gave Smith his caveat about appearing in the film:
And he said, ”Hey, this is Stan Lee,” and I was like, “Oh my god, I know who you are.” I said, “This is crazy, man, like, I grew up listening to you. I’m a huge fan. Big lover of the work, obviously.” He goes, “I could tell, I read the pages. I’m very flattered.” And I was like, “Well, can you do it? Do you want to do it? Come play with us? And he goes, “Well, here’s the thing, Kevin. You have me in this movie talking about the girl that got away in a very lovely monologue. If I’m in a movie as me, talking about the girl that got away, the girl I got at home will lock the door and not let me back in the house. What I’m suggesting is we put in one more scene where I talk about how I was just kidding. That way Joan Lee won’t be mad.” And I thought that was incredibly sweet, so I wrote another scene where Stan meets up with T.S., Jeremy London’s character…. I’d known him for a long time, and what I found out was Stan was nothing if not brilliant at expanding the brand of Stan. So, Stan figured out how to get one more scene in the movie. Stan didn’t really care about what Joan would have thought. It was a movie. He didn’t give a shit. It was a guy that made up Thor, for God’s sakes. But he was like, “You know, this would be a good way to expand my role in the movie.” So, he was clever. Clever as hell, old Stan Lee.”
What Stan Lee’s Cameo Meant To Mallrats
Providing Geek Credibility
Kevin Smith had already established himself as a card-carrying geek, thanks to the iconic Empire Strikes Back/Death Star conversation in his hit indie comedy, Clerks. The filmmaker doubled down with Mallrats, which further cemented his place in the geekiverse. Brodie (Jason Lee) is a walking encyclopedia of comic books and even foreshadowed the 1996 Marvel/DC comics crossover in a conversation with Rene (Shannen Doherty). Stan Lee’s cameo was a big deal, however.
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Stan Lee was already a household name to comic book readers by the time Mallrats was released, so to see him pop up in a film that was so geared toward them lent some much-needed credibility. Mallrats was not Lee’s first onscreen role, as he appeared in a cameo in the 1989 TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. However, as Smith points out in the video, his role here is more than a cameo, as he has multiple scenes and many lines of dialogue. Lee even appeared on the film’s poster.
Our Take On Stan Lee’s Mallrats Cameo
It Set The Tone For Movies To Come
Before Mallrats, Stan Lee didn’t do much acting, outside narrating and providing voice work in various Marvel projects in the 1980s. But Mallrats demonstrated that not only was Lee a prolific storyteller, but he could act as well. This set the stage for his nearly 40 cameos in Marvel-related films and television series. In fact, Stan Lee’s cameos became so synonymous with MCU films that his absence in them since his passing has been noticeable. That is all thanks to Lee trying to squeeze a little more screen time out of Mallrats.
Source: GQ
Mallrats is the second film in Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse and a prequel to Clerks, focusing on two friends who bond at a mall after being dumped by their girlfriends. The film didn’t perform well at the box office but has since become a cult classic and one of the most notable films in Smith’s portfolio.
- Release Date
-
October 20, 1995
- Cast
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Jason Lee
, Kevin Smith
, Jeremy London
, Claire Forlani
, Jason Mewes
, Joey Lauren Adams
, Shannen Doherty
, Ben Affleck - Runtime
-
94 minutes
- Budget
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$6 million
