Stan Lee has been given a tribute in all of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while he has an excellent cameo in Avengers: Endgame, there is another comic book creator who had a pretty big impact on the current state of the MCU, who the Russo Brothers invited in for a cameo. Endgame is a truly massive movie and there are a lot of surprises, but this one is for the hardcore comic book fans who have been keeping tabs on the source material over the years. There are MINOR SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame below.
Thanos creator Jim Starlin has a cameo in Avengers: Endgame and it’s a big deal. First, we’ll talk about the cameo itself. Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is seen leading a support group for people who have lost loved ones as a result of the Decimation. Endgame co-director Joe Russo also has a cameo during the same scene. Starlin is listed in the credits as Support Group Man #1. Now, this is a big deal for a few reasons.
The first reason this is a big deal is because Jim Starlin has had public beef with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the use of his creations. Specifically, it comes down to monetary compensation. The comic creator has complained many times that Marvel Studios has never properly compensated him and went out of his way to say that he has had to purchase his own tickets to go see an MCU movie on the big screen. Starlin had this to say a while back.
“Just received a very big check from DC Entertainment for my participation in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Anatoli Knyyazev), much bigger than anything I’ve gotten for Thanos, Gamora and Drax showing up in any of the various Marvel movies they appeared in, combined.”
The second reason this is big is because it looks like the situation is getting better. Things started to change once the Russo Brothers got involved with the MCU. After expressing interest in Infinity War after seeing a behind-the-scenes image of a copy of the Infinity Gauntlet on the set with a bunch of post-its, Jim Starlin was welcomed aboard by the Russos. “We’ve got your close up ready, Mr. Starlin,” said the directing duo on social media. As it turns out, they weren’t kidding and Starlin is a happy man. Starlin had this to say about it.
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“My firstborn leaves the nest to wreck (sic) havoc on the heavens. What more could a proud father hope for?”
Hopefully this means that Marvel Studios and Jim Starlin have settled everything. The comic book creator seems happy now. The MCU should be properly reimbursing the man behind Thanos, the Infinity Gauntlet, Gamora, Drax, and more. He has forever changed the face of the MCU with his creations and long-time comic book fans could not be happier. Good on the Russo Brothers for giving Jim Starlin a chance to shine.
