Jason Mewes has revealed Stan Lee was set to make a much larger dent in the Jay And Silent Bob Reboot film, before he sadly died a year ago.
Kevin Smith had interviewed Lee at Comic-Con in 2017 and recruited the Marvel legend to ‘audition’ for the latest film in the Askewniverse created by Smith.
Not spoiling the flick for punters keen to check it out in cinemas, Lee does make a very small cameo based on this two-year-old interaction, but Mewes – who plays cheeky, capped Jay in the franchise – insisted Lee’s role was to be more.
Jason Mewes reveals Stan Lee role much larger in Jay And Silent Bob The Reboot before Marvel legend’s death
‘Yes, much bigger, actually. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say the part,’ Mewes tells Metro.co.uk ahead of the film’s release.
‘There was definitely a big…’ he trails off before he continues: ‘When he was interviewed, [Smith] was writing the script and he’d written a much bigger part for him.
‘It’s a shame. The first time I saw that…I had seen it but not cut together with the movie and having it all together like that and he popped up – I started tearing up for sure.’
The Reboot marks the first time we’ve seen the duo of Jay and Silent Bob (Smith, who also wrote and directed the film) since 2006’s Clerks II and while we’ve been champing at the bit for another injection from these two, they’ve brought along all their mates – and some newcomers too.
While there is a big hole left by Lee, the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Craig Robinson and Jason Lee all make appearances.
Oh, also Joe Manganiello, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, Fred Armisen and Justin Long.
That’s only scratching the surface.
From the first flick of Clerks back in 1994 to 95’s Mallrats we’ve seen an A-list roll call of stars dip in and out of the franchise created by powerhouse Smith.
With this year’s Reboot bringing the band back together, so to speak, does Mewes think the flick would have been made if not everyone was keen to revisit their famous characters?
‘I don’t know what [Smith] had planned…’ he says of the backup if, say, Affleck and Damon said no, as he adds: ‘I don’t think those two were key, but Shannon Elizabeth (who plays Justice) totally was key so I don’t know what the plan was for that if that didn’t work out.
‘He might have had a plan B and I’m sure he did. We’ve never talked about it. The hope was [everyone would say yes], anyway.’
When it came to potential rejections from famous cameos, apparently everyone was on board.
Because who says no to Kevin Smith and Jay And Silent Bob?
‘No, I think pretty much everyone…of course you know one person who was super busy because now there’s tonnes of Star Wars, but Cocknocker in the original was Mark Hamill,’ Mewes says.
‘I’m sure we would have wanted him back to play Cocknocker.’
Same.
Jay And Silent Bob Reboot is in UK cinemas 29 November.
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