The late Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee is set to experience a new kind of immortality—through artificial intelligence. In a landmark digital licensing deal, the voice and likeness of the legendary creator, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 95, are being revived for use in AI-powered tools, a reading app, visual templates, and music creation platforms.
The agreement places Lee’s digital persona within ElevenLabs’ Iconic Marketplace, a platform that licenses celebrity voices and likenesses for commercial applications. This initiative is being facilitated through Stan Lee Universe, a joint venture between Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment. According to a report by *Variety*, ElevenLabs announced the partnership on Wednesday, marking a significant step in the integration of AI with legacy entertainment figures.
In a promotional video released by ElevenLabs, an AI-generated version of Lee delivers a nostalgic line: “You know what they never tell you about legends? They outlive the page.” This sentiment underscores the enduring impact of Lee’s work, which has inspired generations of comic book fans and creators. The platform will allow users to generate AI-inspired images and videos using comic book panel templates, with the caveat that such creations are limited to non-commercial use. Additionally, Lee’s AI voice can narrate books through the Eleven Reader app, a feature that promises to bring his iconic vocal tone to literary works.
The voice model was trained using professional recordings of Lee, ensuring a high degree of authenticity in the AI rendition. Chaz Rainey, a lawyer and board member of Stan Lee Universe, emphasized the significance of this partnership. “Stan always believed in meeting his fans where they were: in the pages of a comic, at a convention, or in a quick on-screen cameo,” Rainey said. “This partnership is a way of continuing that. Fans have always told us that when they read his comics, they hear the words in Stan’s voice, and now, thanks to ElevenLabs, we can make that a reality.”
As part of the rollout, ElevenLabs will launch the “Stan Lee Book Club of the Month” through the Eleven Reader app. The inaugural book, scheduled for June, will be Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure novel *Treasure Island*. Each subsequent month will feature a new public domain book narrated by Lee’s AI voice. In the promotional video, Lee’s replicated voice delivers two of his most famous catchphrases: “With great power comes great responsibility” and “Excelsior!”—a nod to his enduring legacy in pop culture.
The digital revival also includes two new music filters for creators: “Superhero Cinematic Swells” and “Retro Hero Fanfare,” designed to enhance audio projects with a heroic flair. ElevenLabs’ Iconic Marketplace already features voices and likenesses of other notable figures, including Michael Caine, Judy Garland, Burt Reynolds, David Hasselhoff, and Albert Einstein. The platform has also secured a deal involving Val Kilmer’s estate, which permitted the use of his image and voice in an upcoming film titled *As Deep as the Grave*, slated for release after Kilmer’s passing in 2025.
Lori McCreary, a representative from Revelations, a company involved in the project, highlighted the broader implications of AI in entertainment. She stressed the importance of ethical considerations, stating, “Technology companies and Hollywood must respect consent, protect name, image, and likeness rights, and preserve the value of human creativity.” This sentiment reflects growing concerns about the responsible use of AI in reviving deceased personalities for commercial purposes.
ElevenLabs, the company behind this initiative, has seen significant growth, raising $500 million this year at a valuation of $11 billion. The deal with Stan Lee Universe represents a pioneering effort to blend nostalgia with cutting-edge technology, offering fans new ways to engage with the Marvel legend’s creative spirit long after his passing.
