Stan Lee resurrected by AI for new audio projects
“You know what people never say about legends? They survive the pages!”
Nearly eight years after his death, Stan Lee will make his comeback… thanks to artificial intelligence.
The legendary creator of many Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men Or Iron Man will see his voice, his image and even his style be recreated by AI as part of a partnership signed with the company ElevenLabs.
The company, which specializes in voice and generative technologies, has just announced an agreement with Stan Lee Universe – a joint company between Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment – in order to officially integrate the image and voice of Stan Lee into its licensing catalog.
Concretely, users will soon be able to listen to books narrated by an AI version of Stan Lee’s voice, use musical filters inspired by his universe or even generate comic-style visuals with his appearance.
The first announced project is entitled Stan Lee Book Club of the Month. Each month, an audiobook will be narrated by an AI reproduction of the Marvel creator’s voice via the Eleven Reader app. The first work chosen will be Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The AI music platform ElevenCreative Music will also offer two new filters inspired by the screenwriter’s universe: “Superhero Cinematic Swells” And “Retro Hero Marching Band.”
To announce the partnership, ElevenLabs unveiled a video entirely narrated by an artificial replica of Stan Lee’s voice.
“You know what people never say about legends? They survive the pages,” this AI version says in the video.
On the side of the rights holders, we assure that this initiative would respect the spirit of the creator: “Stan has always wanted to meet his fans: in comics, at conventions or even through his cameos, explains Stan Lee Universe board member Chaz Rainey. Fans often tell us that they hear his voice when they read his comics. Thanks to ElevenLabs, this can now become a reality. Her voice, her image and her love of storytelling… ElevenLabs allows us to keep it all alive in the hands of fans“.
An announcement which obviously risks reviving the debate around the use of artificial intelligence to “resurrect” deceased artists. An entire film starring the late Val Kilmer will be released in theaters this year.
