Warning! Mild SPOILERS for Captain Marvel

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Filmmaker Kevin Smith got emotional after watching himself get referenced in Captain Marvel. Set in 1995, the new MCU film includes a Stan Lee cameo that sees comic creator reading the script for Smith’s 1995 film Mallrats, of which Lee also features in an extended cameo.

Throughout the 1960s, Lee served as Marvel’s primary creative lead and co-created now-iconic characters like Black Panther, Ant-Man, Thor, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. Last November, Lee passed away at the age of 95, thus leading Smith and other filmmakers to publicly express their grief. The MCU’s latest film, Captain Marvel includes plenty of Easter eggs to appreciate in the film, the inclusion of Lee is significant given his recent death. For Smith, it’s even more special given the connection to his cinematic past. 

On Twitter, Smith posted an emotional message after watching Captain Marvel, complete with an up close image of the filmmaker himself. In just four sentences, Smith communicates a load of information about his love for the movies, his appreciation for Stan Lee, his understanding of the MCU, and the shock at being referenced in a movie other than his own. Check out the full tweet below:

In the photo, Smith’s eyes appear to be welling up, with his facial expression communicating gratitude and bittersweet joy. The filmmaker ends his tweet by referencing the 2018 MCU film Avengers: Infinity War, and most notably the infamous snap from the villain, Thanos, wondering - did the MCU’s Kevin Smith survive the Decimation?

For Smith, it’s been a trying decade as a filmmaker, as his last three movies performed poorly at the box office: Red State (2011), Tusk (2014), and Yoga Hosers (2016). Smith also suffered a massive heart attack in 2018. With that said, the director appears to be moving forward with his career, as he’s currently making a Jay & Silent Bob reboot and recently appeared as himself on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory. In 1994, Smith released the breakthrough indie hit Clerks, and followed that up with the 1995 film Mallrats, of which Captain Marvel references.

As the mind behind the View Askewniverse, Kevin Smith’s cinematic legacy is secure. Now, he’s been directly connected to the MCU, and the Stan Lee correlation unsurprisingly resonated deeply with the American director.

More: Snyder’s Justice League Trilogy Plan: What Kevin Smith Got Right (& Wrong)

Source: Kevin Smith