ABC has set the air date for the primetime special Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee.
Produced by ABC News in association with Marvel, Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee will air on Friday, December 20th at 8 p.m. E.T. on ABC.
Filmed in part in front of a live audience at The New Amsterdam Theater in New York City earlier this fall, the hour-long special will commemorate Stan Lee’s life and legacy with special guests from the comic book industry and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The guest list includes Marvel stars Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Paul Bettany (Vision), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Ming-Na Wen (Agent May), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), and Lauren Ridloff (Makkari).
Mark Hamill, Jimmy Kimmel, Method Man, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Kevin Smith, Seth Green, Bob Iger, CB Cebulski, Todd McFarlane, Kevin Feige, Gerry Conway, Joe Quesada will also appear in the special to pay tribute to the late comic book legend and share their memories of him.
The special will also show never-before-seen interviews and footage of Lee that were unearthed from deep within the Marvel and ABC News archives.
Lee, who died of cardiac arrest and respiratory failure in November last year, is the co-creator of several Marvel comic book characters, including Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, and Black Panther. Lee is known for giving his heroes real-world problems and realistic human failings, making them more relatable to the readers. Aside from saving the world, Lee’s comic book characters face daily life concerns such as dating or paying the rent, while also dealing with relevant issues like racisms and substance abuse.
“As a young man, Stan ‘The Man’ Lee always dreamed of writing, going on to create some of the greatest heroes of our modern times,” said Joe Quesada, executive vice president, creative director of Marvel Entertainment in a statement. “Stan showed each of us how to be a hero in our everyday lives, and the stories he wrote will go on to influence generations of fans for decades to come. We can’t wait for all you True Believers out there to see this special to honor and celebrate Stan’s incredible life and all the lives he has touched.”
Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee is executive produced by John R. Green and co-executive produced by Matt Lombardi.