Stan Lee returns to Marvel Studios with cool brands, captive! Entertainment License Agreement (Exclusive)

I called Stan Lee: Homecoming.

With a one-time deal, Stan Lee, the beloved co-creator of Spider-Man, Avengers and Hulk, who died in 2018, returns to Marvel Studios.

Marvel has signed a 20-year deal with Stan Lee Universe, a joint venture between Genius Brands International and POW! License Lee’s name and likeness in upcoming films and television shows, as well as Disney theme parks, various “experiences” and commerce.

“This really ensures that Stan, through digital technology, archives and other ways, lives in the most important place of Marvel movies and Disney theme parks,” said Andy Hayward, president and CEO of Genius Brands. “This is very important.”

Lee was the writer and editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics in the 1960s, when he, along with artists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, created superheroes that now form the basis of some of the biggest blockbusters in the world. . The world of interconnected storytelling that is popular across multiple media. He also became the ever-smiling public face of the company, a valuable position he held for decades even as his editorial positions changed and he eventually left the company.

Lee once again found himself in the spotlight and on the pedestal of pop culture in the 21st century, thanks to his wide-angle cinematic appearances, first in Marvel-based films such as Fox. x Men Cinema and Sony Spider man Movies, then a growing list of Marvel Studios hits. When he died, an audience that hadn’t even read the comics connected with him and craved his warm comedy works.

However, this new deal doesn’t necessarily pave the way for Lee Cameo to return to film, at least not in the way traditionally known to his fans, pundits are cautious. It’s unclear whether audiences have an appetite to see Lee digitally resurrected because actors like Carrie Fisher or Peter Cushing were so sure. war of the galaxies Films.

The deal gives Marvel the right to use Lee’s name, voice, likeness and signature in film and television projects, as well as use existing photos, images and audio recordings with her involvement. The right to use Lee’s name, sound, likeness and signature was also included exclusively on the theme park, cruise line and park merchandise. Park audiences and spectators could see Lee as figures and toys in clothing and stationery, video games and virtual reality.

Genius Brand, a global children’s media company, created a joint venture with POW!, a media company he co-founded with Lim Gil Champion and Arthur Lieberman in July 2020. Hayward, who has called Lee a mentor and is a former president . DIC Entertainment, Home Inspector Device – He said he led the initiative because after Lee’s death and the escalation of conflict in Lee’s later years, “a sponsor of his legacy was needed”. The company now examines Lee’s files and executes offers through goggles.

“The audience respected Stan, and if it was done with taste, class and respect for who he was, he would be welcome,” Hayward said. “He’s a lovely person and long after you and I are gone, he will remain the very essence of Marvel.”