The voice and likeness of Stan Lee are being added to an AI marketplace.
On Wednesday, ElevenLabs posted an AI-generated video featuring the Marvel Comics icon. The video opens with comic book images and photographs of Stan Lee while his voice delivers an inspirational message about creativity and embracing artistry. It ends with his famous line, “Excelsior!” before revealing itself to be an advertisement.
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 voice of Stan Lee, now yours to discover,” a British voice says. “Join ElevenLabs today.”
A Stan Lee Likeness Joins ElevenLabs’ AI Marketplace
As reported in Variety, Stan Lee Universe has partnered with AI company ElevenLabs to license the late Marvel creator’s voice and likeness for future digital projects. The collaboration will reportedly allow fans and creators to use AI-generated versions of Lee for narration, interactive media, and other entertainment content.
Through the Eleven Reader app, users will be able to hear an AI version of Stan Lee narrate audiobooks. The model was reportedly trained using recordings of his voice. A visual generator also includes templates that place the late creator’s likeness into comic book panels and videos, though those creations will reportedly be limited to non-commercial use.
Stan Lee at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con in San Diego, California. – Wikimedia Commons
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Chaz Rainey, a lawyer and board member for Stan Lee Universe, framed the partnership as something Lee himself would have embraced.
“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,” he said in a statement. “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.”
Stan Lee on Larry King – CNN, YouTube
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However, the announcement has already sparked backlash online.
Critics Question The Ethics Of AI Stan Lee
Justine Bateman, an outspoken critic of AI, shared the Stan Lee announcement on social media. “Repulsive,” she wrote. “Shame to have your legacy turned into a punchline.”
Repulsive.
Shame to have your legacy turned into a punchline. https://t.co/Lnro8eaqMi— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) May 27, 2026
Other users referenced allegations that the comics legend suffered elder abuse during his final years. In their view, bringing Stan Lee back through AI is simply another form of exploitation.
Gross… they worked this man to his death… let him rest in peace
— Andy Signore (@andysignore) May 27, 2026
At the same time, many users acknowledged that projects like this may be an inevitable result of rapidly advancing AI technology.
We all knew this was coming… https://t.co/GXLivF4Vyb
— MasteroftheTDS (@MasteroftheTDS) May 27, 2026
It is a debate that is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.
The AI Future Raises Bigger Questions
Stan Lee is not the first celebrity added to the ElevenLabs Iconic Marketplace. Last November, Matthew McConaughey — who is also an investor in the AI company — and Michael Caine signed deals allowing digital versions of their voices and likenesses to be used through the platform.
Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962), Marvel Comics
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The major difference, of course, is that McConaughey and Caine are still alive and able to consent to those agreements. When Stan Lee died in 2018 at age 95, AI technology was nowhere near as advanced as it is today.
While AI is a powerful tool, as Stan Lee taught generations, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” As industries move deeper into digital recreations, the debate may no longer center on what technology can do, but what creators, companies, and audiences believe it should do.
How do you feel about AI being used to bring back Stan Lee? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
