James Gunn Reveals Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Character He Originally Wrote for Stan Lee

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn originally planned an animated character cameo for comics legend Stan Lee before Lee’s death in 2018.

“I originally wrote Lambshank, the character that I played, for Stan Lee because I wrote the movie before Stan passed on,” he said during the film’s director’s commentary (as reported by The Direct).

Although Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 wasn’t released until 2022, Gunn actually turned in his first draft for the movie in June 2018. However, Gunn was temporarily fired by Marvel in July before he was rehired in early 2019. Despite the turmoil and redrafting, Lambshank remained in the script through to the final draft.

“I knew he was also getting much older and it’d be harder to bring him to Atlanta to shoot,” he explained. “So, I did a character that I could just animate and then have him do the voice and have a little Stan Lee-like face on that character.”

By the time it came to filming, however, a Stan Lee cameo was no longer an option. “Unfortunately, Stan passed, who I really enjoyed working with and directing so many times through these movies,” said Gunn.

Instead, Gunn decided to take on the role of Lambshank himself, one of the High Evolutionary’s experiments who appears to scare Mantis before she sheepishly shrugs it off. “I was screaming at something scary behind you, not you,” she says. “You look really cool…”

IGN’s Guardians of the Galaxy 3 review gave it 8/10 and said: “The Guardians of the Galaxy deliver their swan song in Vol. 3 and it’s a rockin’ good time. Through Rocket’s tragic origin story, we’re given a new appreciation for this whole family of lovable malcontents… This movie sends them out on an emotional and action-packed high note.”

Want to read more about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Check out the deleted scene that sheds light on the High Evolutionary’s fate as well as what the Guardians sequel means for X-Men fans.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.