Maha Christopher
The voice and likeness of late Marvel comics legend Stan Lee are set to be recreated using artificial intelligence following a new partnership with AI audio company ElevenLabs.
According to ABC News, ElevenLabs has acquired the rights to Lee’s image and voice for commercial use, allowing the company to license his AI generated likeness to other businesses for projects including films, commercials, audiobooks, and digital media.
The partnership was announced in collaboration with Stan Lee Universe, the company that currently manages the late comic creator’s image and intellectual property rights.
As part of the initiative, users will reportedly be able to hear an AI generated version of Lee narrate audiobooks, including a planned “Stan Lee Book Club of the Month.” Fans may also generate comic book panels featuring Lee’s likeness using digital templates.
“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,” Chaz Rainey, a lawyer and board member for Stan Lee Universe, said.
“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.”
The announcement has generated mixed reactions online, with some fans praising the move as a way to preserve Lee’s legacy, while others criticised the growing use of AI to digitally recreate deceased public figures for commercial purposes.
This is not the first time Lee’s likeness has been recreated with artificial intelligence. During the 2025 Los Angeles Comic Con, attendees reportedly paid for conversations with an AI hologram version of the late comic icon, a move that also drew criticism from sections of the public.
Stan Lee, who died in 2018 at the age of 95, was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in comic book history, co creating Marvel characters such as Spider Man, Iron Man, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, and the X Men.
The development adds to ongoing debates in the entertainment industry surrounding the ethics of using artificial intelligence to reproduce the voices and likenesses of deceased celebrities.
