Stan Lee is coming back from beyond the grave as AI will…

In late May 2026, ElevenLabs announced a landmark licensing agreement with Stan Lee Universe to recreate the voice and likeness of the late Marvel icon through artificial intelligence. This authorized initiative aims to bring Lee's recognizable personality back to fans for use in various commercial and creative projects.

What happened

The project leverages advanced AI technology to synthesize Lee's voice and visual style, moving beyond simple playback of existing archival footage. The voice model was specifically trained using professional recordings of Lee to ensure an authentic reproduction of his distinctive delivery and style. According to the agreement, ElevenLabs is permitted to use the synthetic voice for approved commercial applications, including advertising and professional narration.

One of the primary implementations of this technology is the Eleven Reader, which will feature Lee’s AI-generated voice to narrate written material. A notable launch project for this feature is the "Stan Lee Book of the Month Club," which will debut with Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Beyond audio narration, the project also allows for the generation of Lee's likeness in comic-inspired visual settings, though these visual outputs are strictly limited to non-commercial use.

The agreement is a licensing arrangement rather than a transfer of ownership, with Stan Lee Universe retaining control over all rights connected to his name, voice, and legacy. By utilizing trained AI models, the initiative intends to create new content that reflects Lee's style, including potential character voicing, even though the legend passed away in 2018.