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The iconic voice, stylings, and glasses of comic book creator Stan Lee were just one of the many things that made him stand out in a crowd. Not only was he the co-creator of some of the most iconic comic book characters of all-time, but he quickly became a steward for not only the medium of comics but the entire library of heroes and villains from the house of ideas. Stan Lee was the king of San Diego Comic-Con for decades, even before he became a pillar of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his cameos, and even eight years after his death, he’s still beloved.
In the years following Lee’s demise, though, it became clear that his golden years had a shadow lingering over them, with allegations of elder abuse becoming widely publicized in the months before his death. Now, a new attempt to make money off of Lee has been announced, with AI company ElevenLabs announcing a licensing agreement with Stan Lee Universe, the company previously announced by Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment as the home for Lee’s post-Marvel IP creations. Through this agreement, ElevenLabs users will be able to generate text for Lee’s “voice” to speak, as well as create visuals featuring him. Fans of Stan Lee, though, aren’t having it.
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Stan Lee Added to Generative AI Marketplace and Fans Hate It
In a since-deleted press release on their website, ElevenLabs revealed that “Stan Lee’s voice” has been added to their Iconic Marketplace, allowing users to use it for their own creative projects. Furthermore, they’ve announced the creation of the “Stan Lee Book of the Month Club,” which will use the generative likeness of the late creator to read classic literature. Naturally, it’s not just Lee’s “voice” included in this deal, but his “likeness” as well, with personal, non-commercial use images and videos featuring Lee able to be made by users.
“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, Stan Lee Universe, 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. His voice, his image, his love of storytelling…ElevenLabs gives us a way to keep that alive and in fans’ hands in a way that’s true to who he was.”
Unfortunately for ElevenLabs and the team at Stan Lee Universe, this does not appear to be true at all when it comes to Lee’s actual fans. Not long after this announcement was made, fans took to social media to immediately express their displeasure with it, many noting that it contributes to a tragic, recurring pattern, with others using Lee to make money, just like the elder abuse allegations that arrived at the end of his life.
“Stan Lee spinning in his grave. Shame on you all,” wrote one user. Another added, “Stan Lee was larger than life, but legends should be remembered with soul and humanity, not turned into digital puppets for corporations forever.”
Poor guy was literally being exploited in his final years (horrible case of elder abuse) and they cant even give him a break when he’s dead. Really ghoulish stuff. https://t.co/RTneV6tMTB
— Simon Gallagher (@SiGallagher) May 27, 2026
“Next thing they will have a Stan Lee robot signing at comic cons. Where will it end,” one user asked.
“Licensing a dead man’s voice and face to an AI marketplace is the digital version of exactly what happened to him in person,” yet another noted. “The question isn’t whether the technology works. it’s who signed the deal and whether they have the legal authority to sell a dead man’s identity when the estate has been in dispute for 6 years.
One of the most embarrassing and bleak things I’ve ever seen was that footage of the AI Stan Lee at Comic Con, where a girl asks it which superhero would save the world. It says Spider-man and the girl starts celebrating because she was wearing a Spider-man shirt. https://t.co/BuG7TwF1rE
— Carter (@CurlyMcNulty) May 27, 2026
As noted, the backlash to the announcement of Lee’s voice being added to the ElevenLabs roster (which also includes celebrities that are still living, like Michael Caine and David Hasselhoff, in addition to other deceased celebrities like Judy Garland, John Wayne, and J. Robert Oppenheimer) has been swift. Since it was announced, the press release on ElevenLabs website confirming the Stan Lee news has been removed, and any searches for him on the Iconic Marketplace turn up nothing. Posts on social media from ElevenLabs remain active as of this writing, but fans continue to express their displeasure about the entire idea.
Will they ever let this man rest in peace after all the abuse he suffered?
— ExplodingCB (@ExplodingCB) May 27, 2026
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