Fans of superheroes have always disagreed about whether the characters from DC or Marvel are better. Stan Lee, a legendary comic author himself, has his own answer to this question, explaining what made Marvel eager to quickly bring its own movie to theaters.
Stan Lee is a true legend among comic fans. Together with other collaborators like Jack Kirby, he created many iconic heroes at Marvel, including some of the most famous like Iron Man, Thor, or Hulk. The X-Men also originated from his pen, and of course Spider-Man, a wonderfully imperfect hero.
It is clear that Lee, who passed away in 2018, knew a lot about superheroes. On the debate of whether Marvel is better than the competing DC, the author did not have a clear answer. Instead, he looked back at the beginnings of Marvel and could precisely name who or what inspired all subsequent heroes.
Costumes, Superpowers, a Secret Identity …
What did Stan Lee say? Fifteen years ago, the book “The Stan Lee Universe” was published, containing numerous anecdotes from the comic master (via reddit.com). Among them, one in which he talked about his first encounters with comics and how they inspired him and his colleagues at Marvel.
I was a teenager when I first saw Superman at the newsstand. And when you start working in comics and become part of the industry, you realize how much you owe to Siegel and Shuster [creators of Superman, note by the author]. All conventions of our superheroes stem from the Superman idea. Costumes, superpowers, a secret identity… all these elements we used in the development of our characters.
Stan Lee
Stan Lee was not shy about naming his inspiration, even when it came from the competition like in the case of Superman. This also shows that Lee did not take the rivalry between the two comic publishers as seriously and fiercely as some fans did – on the contrary, the competition was a fruitful motivation for him to further develop his own creations. This also applies to the movies that Marvel brought to the theaters.
What did Lee say about the films? The first major superhero film made specifically for theaters was Superman from 1978. The film was directed by Richard Donner and made a great impression on many viewers.
Stan Lee also saw the film back then in theaters and remembered years later:
It was a revelation. It showed everyone that superheroes are important, very imaginative, and worth being adapted for the big screen. It is only fitting that Superman, the first superhero, also got the first superhero film, but of course, it made us at Marvel even more envious as we hoped to see our characters on the big screen soon. Superman had a major influence on everything.
Stan Lee
Even at Marvel, there were TV movies and series back then, but they were usually cheaply produced. For example, Spider-Man from 1977, a television film that was followed by a series. However, Stan Lee was not very satisfied with it and called the production “too childish.” (via geektyrant.com)
Some films made for television also temporarily found their way into theaters. But the first major film that Marvel produced specifically for the big screen was Howard the Duck in 1989. This was followed by The Punisher, Blade and in 2008, probably the big breakthrough for Marvel in theaters when Iron Man was released, launching the MCU.
This was the beginning of an epic and very successful film series that continues to this day. As of 2025, for example, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Even though Stan Lee passed away in 2018, he witnessed the success of the Marvel films and even appeared in some of them. In this respect, Marvel has matched DC and established itself in theaters – no matter which universe you may find better. In this context: Marvel legend Stan Lee had a favorite character from DC that hardly anyone knows
