Samuel L. Jackson Read Stan Lee’s Comics as a Kid—Now He Ranks Just Behind Him at the Box Office Samuel L. Jackson, 77, was at the Los Angeles premiere of his new thriller The Beast on Oct. 6 when he learned something surprising. Among performers, he ranks just behind Stan Lee in cumulative box office revenue across all film roles. Lee co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and the X-Men. He worked on around 200 films. He d*ed in 2018 at age 95. Jackson grew up reading Lee’s comics in segregated Tennessee. Meeting the man behind them was never something he pictured. “Never occurred to me as a kid growing up in segregated Tennessee, I would meet Stan Lee,” Jackson told PEOPLE. “So when it happens, it’s not even a dream come true. It’s something beyond that.” Jackson plays Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He called Lee a “wonderful, charming person.” After Lee’s d*eath on Nov. 12, 2018, Jackson posted a tribute on X. He thanked Lee for the escape and for the joy of inhabiting the worlds he created. He also wrote that Lee was giving and gracious to everyone. What’s your favorite Stan Lee creation? #samuelljackson #StanLee #marvel #nickfury #thebeast - @hotnew73