The world came to a standstill when the newsflash hit everyone's phones: Stan Lee had passed away. Honestly, I had to check across multiple portals to check if this was a hoax or not, but once this gut-wrenching piece of news was confirmed, the first thing that popped in my mind was- “Oh my God, Marvel movies without Stan Lee in it? How will this even work?”

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I don't know if I am the only one who does this, but whenever I see Stan on the big screen making a badass cameo out of nowhere, I instantly go into fanboy mode without giving a damn if the dude next to me is judging me or not! 

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The cheers, clap and whistles just come pouring out as soon as I see him making a trademark sarcastic comment about superheroes. This is my personal favourite.

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Now that he is gone, it is hard to imagine a Marvel movie without him. I mean, of course, it will still be mindblowing, but I won't be eagerly waiting for Stan anymore to pop on the screen and shoot a snarky line…and that breaks my heart.

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Stan was probably the biggest fan of his own work, as evident by his dedicated appearances at every movie premiere, comic book conventions and public signings.

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Keeping in mind that this was a man above 90, who like his peers, should've been resting or just be on the down-low and spend his time golfing, it was incredible how enthusiastic he always was. Stan was the biggest personification of the quote “age is just a number” and a walking contradiction to the common notion, that 'old people' are not cool.

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It does make one wonder that why did not take a break from his movie career? I mean, it would not have been out of the norm. Actors his age often silently walk away from the spotlight, but Stan was always there and never broke under the pressure of the industry.

Back in 2016, Stan told the Hollywood Reporter the reason behind him not retiring, and the answer is typical Stan.

“When you retire, you have a chance to do all the things you've always wanted to do. I've been doing all the things I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to be involved in entertaining people.”

Wow. If that's not the most incredible thing you've heard, then I don't know what is.  

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The man knew what he and his work meant to his fans. He knew the importance of the universe that he had created and always reminded himself, that in a way, he was helping people.

“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you're able to entertain, you're doing a good thing.” Stan once told the Washington Post.

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His life and his works are proof that you won't hate your job if you love what you do.

It goes without saying that Stan Lee is irreplaceable and that his loss will take a while to sink in. Until then, fanboys like me are waiting for the next Avengers movie, where we're going to yell our lungs out when we see him on the screen again!

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