Since news broke of Stan Lee’s death on Monday, people from the world of film, television and comic books have been paying tribute to the legend.
Yesterday streaming service Netflix commemorated the comic book writer by changing the way Marvel fans can search for their favourite films and television shows.
Now when you go to the search bar, if you put in Lee’s signature catchphrase ‘Excelsior!’ Marvel films and shows appear in a list now dubbed ‘Stan Lee’s Universe’.
Honestly, I love the idea:
Netflix announced the update on their ‘NXOnNetflix‘ Twitter account which describes itself as being ‘the Netflix space to live everything super, sci-fi, the fantastic, and beyond’.
Sharing a gif of ‘Excelsior!’ being typed into the search bar, they wrote:
Go to your Netflix. Give it a shot. In the words of Stan Lee ‘Nuff said’.
Fans loved the idea, either sharing screenshots of what appeared for them on social media or simply applauding Netflix.
Twitter user Eric Alper wrote:
Netflix has a cool way to honour Stan Lee. If you search for ‘Excelsior!’ on the streaming platform, you’ll be presented with a list of Marvel titles that are available.
Another user praised the idea writing:
Nice Netflix tribute to Stan Lee…
Go to Netflix, type this in the search box:
Excelsior!
This user also loved it tweeting:
Type in ‘Excelsior’ on your search bar on netflix. It instantly gives you anything marvel related. Pretty dope way for netflix to pay homage to Stan.
I can’t wait to go home and try it out.
The term ‘Excelsior!’ was one of Lee’s signature phrases for expression he used for decades in Marvel Comics.
During the late 1960s Lee would sign off his monthly ‘Stan’s Soapbox’ column with the exclamation.
Eventually it became as iconic as Lee himself.
But what does ‘Excelsior’ actually mean?
Eight years ago Lee revealed its definition to his fans on Twitter writing:
What does ‘Excelsior’ mean? [It means] Upward and onward to greater glory! That’s what I wish you whenever I finish tweeting! Excelsior!
And I thought I couldn’t admire Lee any more than I already did…
Lee stumbled across the phrase early on in his career while attempting to find a catchphrase which his competition couldn’t copy.
When he discovered ‘Excelsior’, which also serves as the New York State motto, Lee knew he had found what he needed.
He told Gizmodo:
I used to have a lot of expressions that I would end my comic book columns with: ‘Hang Loose’, ‘Face Front’, ‘Nuff Said’, and I found that the competition was always imitating them and using them.
So, I said I’m going to get one expression that they’re not going to know what it means, and they won’t know how to spell it. ‘And that’s where ‘Excelsior’ came from, and they never did take up on it, thank goodness.’
All together now, Excelsior!
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