---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never thought that Spider-Man would…"
description: "\"I never thought that Spider-Man would become the world wide icon that he is. I just hoped the books would sell and I'd keep my job.\" — Stan Lee"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg"
---

#  I never thought that Spider-Man would become the world…

![“I never thought that Spider-Man would become the world wide icon that he is. I just hoped the books would sell and I'd keep my job.” quote by Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg)

> “I never thought that Spider-Man would become the world wide icon that he is. I just hoped the books would sell and I'd keep my job.”

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Lee reflects on unexpected cultural impact of a character he helped create, noting modest expectations versus global fame.

**In simple terms:** He didn't expect Spider-Man to become a worldwide icon.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humility and be open to unforeseen outcomes.

Themes

humility unexpected success culture legacy

Mood

proud reflective

Type

inspirational cautionary

When to use this quote

- marketing
- publishing
- branding
- fan culture
- media adaptation

Key Concepts

comic creation global influence media phenomenon

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you stay grounded when success exceeds expectations?
- What responsibilities come with cultural influence?

A Different Perspective

Fame can bring pressure and loss of privacy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-sell-808832/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Hoped Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoped-books-4775685/) [Icons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/icons/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Just Hoped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-hoped-319138/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Spider man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spider-man/) [Spiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiders/) [Thought Spider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-spider-4775686/) [Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [When I started writing, I just hoped for a nice little paperback series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-cussler/when-i-started-writing-i-just-hoped-for-a-nice-little-paperback-series/)

[Clive Cussler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-cussler/)

> [When we went up against teams that were better, I just hoped that we could steal the victories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/when-we-went-up-against-teams-that-were-better-i-just-hoped-that-we/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [“He just hoped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-london/he-just-hoped/)

[Alex London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-london/)

> [I was hoping to get a reception like this, I'd just hoped that it would be on Thursday night instead of Tuesday night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/i-was-hoping-to-get-a-reception-like-this-i-d-just-hoped-that-it/)

[Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/)

> [“This girl and this baby were my world, and the only things I needed out of life. I just hoped I could somehow make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-moseley/this-girl-and-this-baby-were-my-world-and-the-only-things-i-needed/)

[Kirsty Moseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-moseley/)

> [I always just hoped that, that I'd meet some nice friendly girl, like the look of her, hope the look of me didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/four-weddings-and-a-funeral/i-always-just-hoped-that-that-i-d-meet-some-nice-friendly-girl-like/)

[Four Weddings And A Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/four-weddings-and-a-funeral/)

> [I was incredibly jealous of friends who had bit parts in 'Home and Away.' I just hoped I'd somehow be allowed into this game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-was-incredibly-jealous-of-friends-who-had-bit-parts-in-home-and/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [“I guess some problems were too big to fix and you just hoped they would take care of themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-c-thomas/i-guess-some-problems-were-too-big-to-fix-and-you-just-hoped-they/)

[Ryan C. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-c-thomas/)

> [“Coming from your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/coming-from-your-friendly-neighborhood-spider-man/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [Comming from your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/comming-from-your-friendly-neighborhood-spider-man/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I like Spider-Man because he's become the most famous. He's the one who's most like me - nothing ever turns out 100 percent OK;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-like-spider-man-because-he-s-become-the-most-famous-he-s-the-one/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I'm tired of writing exams for marks. I want to start writing books for sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/i-m-tired-of-writing-exams-for-marks-i-want-to-start-writing-books/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [My creator owned books sell better than my mainstream books. And that makes no sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-sue-deconnick/my-creator-owned-books-sell-better-than-my-mainstream-books-and-that/)

[Kelly Sue DeConnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-sue-deconnick/)

> [The amount of response I get, in both a negative and a positive context, is completely related to the amount of books I sell,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-amount-of-response-i-get-in-both-a-negative-and-a-positive/)

[Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/)

> [The current publishing scene is extremely good for the big, popular books. They sell them brilliantly, market them and all that. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-current-publishing-scene-is-extremely-good-for-the-big-popular/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

## More by Stan Lee

> [I think the way you become a good storyteller is to read a lot of stories and evaluate them in your own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-think-the-way-you-become-a-good-storyteller-is-to-read-a-lot-of/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I enjoy the fact that we have these mobile comics now, which are sort of a cross between a comic book and an animated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-enjoy-the-fact-that-we-have-these-mobile-comics-now-which-are-sort/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [To tell you the truth, I never thought of myself as much of a success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-never-thought-of-myself-as-much-of-a-success/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I am so impressed with people who can really make a big movie, a good movie. The amount of work that goes into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-am-so-impressed-with-people-who-can-really-make-a-big-movie-a-good/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [MARVEL IS A CORNUCOPIA OF FANTASY, A WILD IDEA , A SWASHBUCKLING ATTITUDE , AN ESCAPE FROM THE HUMDRUM AND PROSAIC. IT'S A SERENDIPITOUS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/marvel-is-a-cornucopia-of-fantasy-a-wild-idea-a-swashbuckling/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [Your humans slaughter each other because of the color of your skin, or your faith or your plitics -- or for no reason at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/your-humans-slaughter-each-other-because-of-the-color-of-your-skin-or/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [That's what everybody tells me. "I would've had a great comic-book collection, but my mother made me throw them away." But when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/that-s-what-everybody-tells-me-i-would-ve-had-a-great-comic-book/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I have always tried to have a message, not to be a preacher, but a message that shows it's better to be a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-have-always-tried-to-have-a-message-not-to-be-a-preacher-but-a/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [ I was in the beginning when \[comic book superheroes\] started, but not anymore. Now I expect it. I've gotten very used to it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-was-in-the-beginning-when-comic-book-superheroes-started-but-not/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I always felt the 'X-Men,' in a subtle way, often touched upon the subject of racism and inequality, and I believe that subject has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-always-felt-the-x-men-in-a-subtle-way-often-touched-upon-the/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [Every kid loves fairy tales, stories of witches and giants and magicians. Then, when you get a little older you can't read fairy tales…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/every-kid-loves-fairy-tales-stories-of-witches-and-giants-and/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [Wherever we find news, excitement, mystery and adventure, there, too, we find the newspaper reporter. Always on the alert for something new, ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/wherever-we-find-news-excitement-mystery-and-adventure-there-too-we/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I hated teenagers in comics because they were always sidekicks. And I always felt if I were a superhero, there's no way I'd pal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-hated-teenagers-in-comics-because-they-were-always-sidekicks-and-i/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [The experience of reading a printed comic book will never change, but now, thanks to the digital age, there are many different ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/the-experience-of-reading-a-printed-comic-book-will-never-change-but/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

> [I'm just somebody who tries to write things that entertain people. And if I can do it in a way that makes them prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-m-just-somebody-who-tries-to-write-things-that-entertain-people-and/)

[Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

[Explore all 224 Stan Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I never thought that Spider-Man would become the world wide icon that he is. I just hoped the books would sell and I'd keep my job.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stan Lee"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-become-the-world-wide-icon-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-become-the-world-wide-icon-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/stan-lee-1586_book_i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-be_2191630.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I never thought that Spider-Man would become the world wide icon that he is. I just hoped the books would…” — Stan Lee",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Stan Lee",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I never thought that Spider-Man would...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-become-the-world-wide-icon-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-never-thought-that-spider-man-would-become-the-world-wide-icon-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
