Not since the release of Spider-Man 2 in 2004 has a film based on the Marvel character received such unanimous praise like Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse has. Whether for its stellar animation, heartwarming story about rising above, or the perfect casting and character choices, the film has managed to become one of the biggest animated films of the past decade.
The main constant between all Spidey films, however, is the inclusion of co-creator Stan Lee. Sadly, this film marked one of the last cameos he would have before his passing in 2018. However, even in his later years, he was still able to bring a smile to the people that fell in love with his creations.
We recently sat down with director Peter Ramsey and asked him about what it was like filming his cameo in the film. Not only did the question allow for a heartwarming story to be told, but it also revealed that while he may have been struggling, Stan approached every role or task with strength and class.
To read the interview segment, make sure to scroll down and, if interested in the full audio, tune in to LiteraryJoe's Inner Child Podcast below! We would love to hear your thoughts on this amazing story!
Literary Joe: Were you involved with the Stan Lee scene at all, and can you tell me about that? I know that was one of the last things that he was involved with.
Peter Ramsey: Yeah, it was kind of wild. We had a couple of different versions of the scene, and we were all happiest with the version that was closest to the exchange that ended up in the movie.
And we went to Stan's office to record them. I can't remember when in the year it was, but it was relatively late in making the movie. Yeah, it was really wild.
I mean, Stan Lee, that was the first time I had never met him. So that was like, Oh my God, I can't believe it's Stan, the Man! This is great.
Literary Joe: And he was there for your movie, too!
Peter Ramsey: And that blew my mind. That really took me back to being like 12 years old and looking at Stan's Soapbox in the comic books. It was just, wow, he was so nice, man. He was just a nice, kind guy.
It was close enough to the end for him that he was having real trouble seeing. So, that was kind of difficult. But, he was still up and around.
And he was talking and shaking hands. It was just a joy. He was a sweetheart.
*This interview has been edited for clarity. Audio is co-hosted by LiteraryJoe (Comic Book Movie).
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If you're interested in watching Peter's Faceplant episode, you can check it out here.