Marvel Legend Stan Lee ‘Resurrected’ Via AI for Controversial Comics Project

ElevenLabs has secured a licensing deal with Stan Lee Universe, a joint venture between Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment, to use AI-generated replicas of Stan Lee’s voice and likeness. Lee, the late Marvel Comics legend who created characters like Spider-Man and the Hulk, passed away in 2018. The partnership will integrate his voice into ElevenLabs’ Iconic Marketplace, enabling companies to license it for products. The collaboration includes a new series called the *Stan Lee Book Club of the Month*, where Lee’s AI voice will narrate monthly books, starting with *Treasure Island* by Robert Louis Stevenson. Users can access these narrations via Eleven Reader, while ElevenCreative Music will introduce two AI-generated music filters inspired by Lee: *Superhero Cinematic Swells* and *Retro Hero Fanfare*. Additionally, users can generate Lee’s likeness in comic book templates through ElevenLabs’ visual tools. ElevenLabs announced the deal with a promotional video featuring Lee’s AI voice, which stated, *‘You know what they never tell you about legends? They outlive the page.’* Chaz Rainey, a board member for Stan Lee Universe, emphasized that the partnership aligns with Lee’s legacy of engaging fans, noting that many associate his voice with his comics. Rainey added that ElevenLabs’ technology preserves Lee’s storytelling essence in a way fans can experience directly. This is not the first time ElevenLabs has recreated a celebrity’s likeness using AI; last year, British actor Michael Caine signed a similar deal to allow his voice to be replicated. The move has sparked controversy, as it raises questions about the ethical implications of digitally resurrecting deceased figures for commercial purposes without their consent.