2018 marked the 10th anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicking off its history as a box office juggernaut. With Jon Favreau’s Iron Man ushering in the era of Marvel movies in order, a star-studded photo was taken with a massive gathering of the MCU class established at that point. Five years later, as we draw closer to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 continuing that cinematic tradition, there seems to be some confusion as to whether or not the late, great Stan Lee was actually present on set or photoshopped into the image after the fact.
At least, that confusion is what ensued during a game between CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell, writer/director James Gunn, and star (lord) Chris Pratt. As the three sat down during the press day for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy threequel, a challenge was thrown out to see if Gunn or Pratt could remember who sat closest to Stan Lee in that photo. That led to the following exchange, which asked the question we’re about to dig deeper into:
"James Gunn: I don’t remember Stan…
Chris Pratt: Was Stan Lee there?
Gunn: They might have [photoshopped him]. I don’t remember him being there.
Pratt: Oh, I remember him being there. Wow, you piece of shit. I don’t. I think they added him after. But it makes sense that they would add him, right next to [me.]"
It seems like a pretty big deal to question whether or not Lee was present for the 2018 Marvel Studios cast photo. Then again, James Gunn, Chris Pratt and the entire Guardians crew are coming off of completing a thrill ride of emotional and spectacle-driven closure. So a day on set from five years ago could be fuzzier than most would remember.
It’s also valid to note that 2018 just happened to be the year of Stan Lee’s passing. With the photo being released in February, there's always a chance that Stan, who didn't pass until November, may not have been up to attending. There’s room for either side of the argument, but is there a way we can settle once and for all if Stan Lee was present for the Marvel Studios 10th anniversary cast photo?
Yes, in fact, there is. It’s all thanks to the video promoting the MCU event back in 2018, which went into the mythic gathering of the Marvel Studios family that united to take the picture in question. Take a gander at that clip below, and the truth will be revealed:
As it turns out, Stan “The Man” Lee did show up in person to take the momentous photo promoting the then-current class of MCU heroes. If you navigate to the 00:35 marker of the video, you can see the comic book legend firmly seated, while Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow play to the camera. He also pops up in other angles of that class photo throughout that same video.
And just to be sure we have the record straight here, Chris Pratt can be confirmed as the closer Guardians of the Galaxy participant in question when looking at Lee’s placement in the photo. Though he’s not “right next” to Stan, as that title is technically taken by another of the Hollywood Chrises, Chris Evans of Captain America fame.
Placement is a small feat when it comes to how Marvel Studios was able to gather that many people from its cinematic universe in one place, with Stan Lee on hand to really tie the room together. But it is becoming apparent that there might be a correlation between the intense schedule of a Marvel franchise like Guardians of the Galaxy and memory. After all, Gwyneth Paltrow kind of forgot her MCU experience, and she’d been with the franchise since day one.
All of the slack in the world can be cut for James Gunn and Chris Pratt being put on the spot. Early responses to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have been quite positive, and the world will soon be able to chime in with their own thoughts after the movie’s debut this weekend. Memory's a tricky thing, especially on a victory lap such as this. But to make sure this doubt gets nipped in the bud, all you need to do is look at the evidence.
Speaking of memories, if you want to relive the entire road of the Guardians of the Galaxy saga before heading to the movies, you're in luck. Provided you have an active Disney+ subscription, you can experience every heartbreak, punchline and explosion that's happened so far.
