Summary
- ElevenLabs has acquired the rights to Stan Lee's voice and image for AI-generated narrations and visuals.
- The company is launching AI music filters and a monthly book club featuring Lee’s AI-generated voice.
- This agreement follows similar licensing deals with other celebrities, such as Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine.
Stan Lee, the legendary figure from Marvel Comics, has once again been "revived" through AI technology.
On Wednesday, the AI firm ElevenLabs announced via X about a partnership with Stan Lee Universe, the organization responsible for managing Lee’s name, likeness, and intellectual property, to incorporate the late creator’s voice and image into its ElevenCreative platform.
“The voice of a legend is now accessible on the Iconic Marketplace and in ElevenReader,” ElevenLabs posted on X. “Crafted from professional recordings, Stan’s humor and charm come through just as you remember it.”
Additionally, ElevenLabs is introducing a “Stan Lee Book of the Month Club” within its ElevenReader narration app, alongside visual templates and music filters inspired by Stan Lee for consumers. This partnership not only enhances fan engagement but also allows businesses and creators to license AI-generated versions of Lee’s voice through ElevenLabs’ “Iconic Marketplace.”
Introducing @TheRealStanLee on ElevenLabs.
The voice of a legend is now available on the Iconic Marketplace and in ElevenReader. Crafted from professional recordings, Stan’s wit and warmth comes through exactly as you remember it. pic.twitter.com/POOYIZiOwj
— ElevenLabs (@ElevenLabs) May 27, 2026
The agreement with Stan Lee marks the latest in a series of likeness deals that ElevenLabs has engaged in. In November, actor Matthew McConaughey collaborated with the company to develop a Spanish-language AI rendition of his “Lyrics of Livin’” newsletter, while Michael Caine also licensed his voice for use in ElevenLabs’ marketplace.
Founded in 2023, ElevenLabs expanded into image and video capabilities in late 2025. The platform also features AI-generated voice replicas of notable figures including Judy Garland, John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Alan Turing, and Melania Trump.
This announcement about Stan Lee is not the first instance of utilizing AI to create an interactive representation of the co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, and various Marvel heroes.
Last September, the Los Angeles Comic Con debuted an AI-driven avatar of Stan Lee that engaged with fans at the event. Organizers aimed to simulate the experience of meeting Lee at conventions and to preserve his storytelling legacy.
“This avatar represents a gateway into the storytelling world he established,” stated Chris DeMoulin, CEO and GM of L.A. Comic Con’s parent company, Comikaze Entertainment Inc., in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. “Our goal was to create something that could help maintain and build upon his legacy, ensuring that Stan's contributions are recognized.”
Nonetheless, the use of AI-generated celebrity likenesses continues to stir debate in Hollywood.
While some actors and estates have embraced licensing deals to profit from their archived voices and images, critics caution that such technologies may jeopardize employment and diminish protections for actors, writers, and voice artists.