As the King of Marvel, Stan Lee has a wide range of iconic quotes attributed to him, drawn from his comic book writing, memorable cameos in dozens of Marvel films, and the nuggets of wisdom he shared during interviews and speaking engagements. However, one of his most underrated quotes may also be among his best, offering a simple but powerful lesson that resonates with fans and non-fans alike.
Just a year before his passing, Stan Lee delivered a keynote at the 2017 UCLA Extension certificate graduation ceremony, held on June 30, 2017. During the speech, the comic book legend revisited the origin of Spider-Man, not the character’s in-universe story, but the real-world creation process behind him. He explained how the idea for Peter Parker emerged and how the journey to publication, even for a character who would eventually stand alongside DC’s Superman and Batman as one of the most iconic superheroes in history, was initially met with skepticism and rejection.
What may surprise many is that Spider-Man was originally dismissed as a terrible idea by Marvel’s editorial leadership. In hindsight, it is almost unimaginable that such an enduring character could have been so easily overlooked. Had Stan Lee accepted that rejection, one of the most successful and influential superhero franchises of all time might never have existed. Fortunately, he believed in the idea enough to push forward, ultimately helping to launch a cultural phenomenon that continues to define modern superhero storytelling.
Friendly Neighborhood Assessment · MCU Era Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Trivia
Homecoming2017
Far From Home2019
No Way Home2021
VillainsSinister…
MCUAvengers
01
Before getting his own solo film, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut by being recruited by Tony Stark to help in a massive superhero conflict. In which MCU film did Holland first appear as Spider-Man?
✓ Correct! Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (2016), where Tony Stark visits Peter in Queens and recruits him for the airport battle against Team Cap. His quippy, starstruck portrayal instantly won over audiences.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Captain America: Civil War. Holland debuted in the 2016 film before Homecoming (2017). He was recruited by Tony Stark for the iconic airport fight scene, stealing Captain America’s shield with his webs in one of the film’s most memorable moments.
02
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter faces a blue-collar salvage contractor who turned to arms dealing after being shut out of the Chitauri cleanup by Damage Control. Using an alien-tech wingsuit, he becomes one of Spider-Man’s most grounded villains. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Adrian Toomes, played brilliantly by Michael Keaton, is the Vulture — a working-class father who builds a criminal empire selling alien-derived weapons. The twist that he’s the father of Peter’s date Liz is one of the MCU’s best surprises.
✗ Web miss! The answer is The Vulture (Adrian Toomes). The Shocker and Tinkerer are his henchmen in the film, and Scorpion (Mac Gargan) only briefly appears. Toomes is the main antagonist who personally confronts Peter in the unforgettable car ride scene.
03
Tony Stark built Peter a high-tech suit loaded with features Peter didn’t even know about, including an AI assistant that helps him in combat, provides tactical analysis, and even gives dating advice. What name does Peter give this AI?
✓ Correct! Peter names his suit’s AI “Karen,” voiced by Jennifer Connelly. She assists him with web shooter modes, reconnaissance, and even his love life. Friday is Tony Stark’s AI, and E.D.I.T.H. is the Stark satellite system that appears in Far From Home.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Karen. Friday is Tony Stark’s personal AI, E.D.I.T.H. is the Stark defense satellite Peter inherits in Far From Home, and Jocasta is an AI from the comics. Karen, voiced by Jennifer Connelly, is Peter’s suit assistant throughout Homecoming.
04
In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter encounters a seemingly heroic figure who claims to be from an alternate Earth, battling elemental creatures across Europe. In reality, he’s a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee using advanced holographic drones. What is his real name?
✓ Correct! Quentin Beck, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is Mysterio — a master of illusion who uses Stark Industries’ B.A.R.F. holographic technology and weaponized drones to fabricate the Elementals and pose as a hero. His final act of revenge shapes the entire third film.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Quentin Beck. William Ginter Riva is one of Beck’s team members, Aldrich Killian is the villain of Iron Man 3, and Justin Hammer is from Iron Man 2. Beck is Mysterio, the illusionist who manipulated Peter’s trust across Europe.
05
In one of the MCU’s most shocking mid-credits scenes, J. Jonah Jameson broadcasts doctored footage from Mysterio’s final moments that completely upends Peter Parker’s life. What does this broadcast reveal to the entire world?
✓ Correct! Mysterio’s doctored footage, broadcast by J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons reprising his iconic role), exposes Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker to the entire world. This revelation drives the entire plot of No Way Home as Peter desperately seeks to undo the damage.
✗ Web miss! The answer is that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While the footage also frames Spider-Man for the London drone attack, the earth-shattering reveal is Peter’s unmasked identity being broadcast globally by The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson.
06
With his identity exposed and his loved ones under threat, Peter seeks help from a powerful sorcerer to cast a spell that would make the world forget he is Spider-Man. Peter’s constant modifications to the spell cause it to fracture the multiverse. Which sorcerer casts this spell?
✓ Correct! Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts the memory-wiping spell at Peter’s request, but Peter keeps asking for exceptions — for MJ, Ned, May, and Happy to still remember him. These constant changes corrupt the spell and tear open the multiverse, pulling in villains from other Spider-Man universes.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Doctor Strange. While Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme and actually warns Strange against it, it is Stephen Strange who agrees to cast the spell. Wanda’s multiverse interference occurs in Multiverse of Madness, not here.
07
Throughout all three films, Peter’s loyal best friend serves as his “guy in the chair,” helping with tech support and keeping his secret. In No Way Home, this character even discovers he can open magical portals using a Sling Ring. Who is Peter’s best friend?
✓ Correct! Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon, is Peter’s best friend and self-proclaimed “guy in the chair.” He discovers Peter’s secret identity in Homecoming, supports him across all three films, and in No Way Home he accidentally uses Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to open portals to other Spider-Men.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Ned Leeds. Flash Thompson is Peter’s rival and bully who ironically idolizes Spider-Man. Harry Osborn is Peter’s friend in the Raimi and Webb films but doesn’t appear in Holland’s trilogy. Miles Morales is only hinted at. Ned is the irreplaceable “guy in the chair.”
08
At the emotional climax of No Way Home, Peter makes an enormous personal sacrifice to save the multiverse. Doctor Strange completes the spell, and when it takes effect, Peter is left completely alone. What does the final spell do?
✓ Correct! The final spell makes every person in every universe forget that Peter Parker exists. MJ, Ned, Happy, the Avengers — everyone. Peter visits MJ at the coffee shop afterward but decides not to re-introduce himself, choosing to protect them. He starts over completely alone, sewing his own suit in a small apartment.
✗ Web miss! The answer is that everyone forgets who Peter Parker is. The spell doesn’t erase Spider-Man — people still know the hero exists — but nobody remembers Peter Parker the person. This devastating sacrifice means MJ, Ned, and even Happy Hogan have no memory of him at all.
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After recounting how he conceived Peter Parker, the initial rejection he faced, and his determination to see the character published, Lee left his audience with a simple but powerful piece of advice. Speaking directly to the graduates, he said, “Don’t let some idiot talk you out of it.” It is a line that captures both his persistence and his creative conviction, and one that continues to resonate as a reminder to trust in ideas you genuinely believe in.
How Stan Lee Came Up With Spider-Man
From a Fly on the Wall to a Spider-Themed Teenager
Following the creation of The Fantastic Four in 1961, Stan Lee was tasked by his editor with coming up with Marvel’s next big superhero hit. As Lee explained, wanting to keep his job, he accepted the challenge and began with what he considered the most important element of any new hero: the superpowers. According to him, once you lock down the power, everything else tends to follow.
While brainstorming abilities for his new character, Lee happened to notice a fly crawling up a wall, which sparked the idea of a hero who could stick to and scale surfaces. From there, he shifted his focus to naming the character, with early and ultimately discarded ideas including “Fly-Man,” “Mosquito-Man,” and others along similar lines.
He eventually landed on Spider-Man before continuing to flesh out the character by giving him personal problems and, notably, deciding to make him a teenager, both of which were uncommon elements in the superhero landscape at the time. Confident in what he believed was a home run idea, Lee pitched it to his editor, only to be told it was the “worst idea” the editor had ever heard.
The Rejection of Marvel’s Greatest Hero, Explained
Spider-Man Was Rejected Before Becoming Marvel’s Greatest Success
To say Stan Lee was met with heavy skepticism when he first pitched Spider-Man to then-Marvel Comics publisher Martin Goodman in 1962 would be an understatement. Not only was the concept of Spider-Man rejected outright, but even Lee’s own understanding of what a superhero was supposed to be was questioned.
During his 2017 commencement speech to UCLA graduates, Lee recalled Goodman’s response to the idea: “Stan, that is the worst idea I have ever heard. First of all, people hate spiders. So you can’t call a hero Spider-Man. [Also], you want him to be a teenager? Teenagers can only be sidekicks. And you want him to have personal problems? Stan, don’t you know what a superhero is?”
Luckily for Spider-Man fans everywhere, Lee didn’t let the idea die in Goodman’s office. Unable to get the character out of his head, he instead took advantage of the upcoming final issue of the struggling Amazing Adult Fantasy anthology, which had been canceled due to poor sales. As Lee explained, a magazine’s final issue often allowed for creative freedom, since the series was ending anyway and there was little to lose.
With that opportunity, Lee rebranded the title as Amazing Fantasy and introduced Spider-Man as the main feature. The plan was simple: if the character failed, he would disappear along with the series. After getting the idea out of his system, Lee nearly forgot about Spider-Man until a month later, when sales reports revealed the hero had been a surprise hit with readers. Not long after his debut in Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962), Spider-Man received his own solo series, The Amazing Spider-Man #1, marking the beginning of one of the greatest superhero legacies of all time.
Stan Lee’s Spider-Man Story Teaches Us to Never Give Up on Our Ideas
“If You Have An Idea That You Genuinely Think Is Good, Don’t Let Some Idiot Talk You Out Of It.” – Stan Lee
After sharing the Spider-Man origin story with UCLA graduates, Stan Lee closed his address by explaining why he felt it was fitting for the ceremony, pointing to the core lesson he hoped they would take away: “If you have an idea that you genuinely think is good, don’t let some idiot talk you out of it.”
Whether you’re a Stan Lee fan or not, this is advice that anyone can value, regardless of their interests. It speaks to persistence, believing in yourself, and the importance of trusting your own ideas and passions. The Spider-Man story reinforces the idea that we shouldn’t allow others to dismiss what we truly believe in, because those ideas could ultimately become something extraordinary.
19 Years Later, Stan Lee’s Best Marvel Movie Cameo Hits So Much Harder
Stan Lee made himself a lasting part of Marvel’s cinematic history through dozens of cameos across the franchise’s films. Here’s his best one.
Lee also clarified that he wasn’t suggesting every idea is inherently brilliant. Instead, he explained that if there is “something that you want to do, something that means something to you. Try to do it because I think you can only do your best work if you’re doing what you want to do and if you’re doing it the way you think it should be done. And if you can take pride in it after you’ve done it, no matter what it is. You look at it and say I did that and I think it’s pretty damn good.”
In short, the lesson behind Stan Lee’s Spider-Man story is to never give up on our dreams and to pursue them whenever we can, even if it means finding creative ways to get them off the ground, like slipping them into a dying magazine just to give them a chance at life.
