Stan Lee has died at age 95, according to THR.
Lee was the legendary writer who got his start in the comic book industry with Jack Kirby. They would end up creating the superheroes that now dominate American moviemaking and, really, just pop culture in general. Lee is responsible for co-creating Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor, Black Panther, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and many, many more.
However, Lee's final years had a lot of downs. His wife of 69 years, Joan, died in July 2017, he sued POW! Entertainment for $1 billion alleging fraud. He also sued an ex-business manager. More disturbingly, in June 2018, it was revealed that the Los Angeles Police Department had been investigating reports of elder abuse against him.
“Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created," Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. "A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart."
Amusingly, he's has also had a cameo in every Marvel film of the last 18 years. That's how he's known to the younger generation of millennials, as "that random old guy."