Stan Lee's Legacy Lives On: New Digital Initiative Brings His Voice to Life
Reviving a Legend: Stan Lee's Voice and Image Licensed for Digital Use
In an exciting new venture, the voice and likeness of the legendary Stan Lee, the mastermind behind Marvel Comics, have been licensed for a pioneering digital project. This agreement, established between Stan Lee Universe—a partnership of Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment—and ElevenLabs, will feature Lee's voice and image in the company's Iconic Marketplace. This platform will enable users to utilize Lee's voice for narrating books and engaging in authorized AI projects, even after his passing in 2018 at the age of 95.
On Wednesday, ElevenLabs unveiled this collaboration, emphasizing that Lee's voice and likeness will be commercially available within its Iconic Marketplace, which focuses on licensed celebrity voices. In a promotional video, an AI-generated version of Lee expresses, “You know what they never tell you about legends? They outlive the page.” This statement captures the spirit of the initiative, which seeks to preserve Lee's legacy through innovative means.
Participants on the platform will have the chance to craft Lee-inspired visuals and videos using comic book panel templates, although these creations will be limited to non-commercial purposes. Furthermore, Lee's voice will narrate books via the Eleven Reader app, with the voice model created from professional recordings of the iconic creator. Chaz Rainey, a lawyer and board member for Stan Lee Universe, highlighted the significance of this collaboration, stating, “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 this initiative, ElevenLabs will launch the “Stan Lee Book Club of the Month,” commencing in June with Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, ‘Treasure Island.’ Each following month will showcase a new public domain book. The AI-generated voice of Lee will also recite his iconic phrases, such as “With great power comes great responsibility” and “Excelsior!” in promotional content.
The rollout will feature two music filters, “Superhero Cinematic Swells” and “Retro Hero Fanfare,” broadening the creative options for users. Other prominent figures available on the platform include Michael Caine, Judy Garland, and Albert Einstein. Lori McCreary of Revelations emphasized the necessity of respecting consent and safeguarding the rights associated with name, image, and likeness in this rapidly evolving digital environment. ElevenLabs has successfully raised $500 million this year, achieving a remarkable valuation of $11 billion.