One of the most striking aspects of Marvel movies, regardless of whether they were part of the MCU or not, were the Stan Lee cameos. Unfortunately, after his death in 2018, and last appearance in Avengers: Endgame, this was an element that many believed they would never see again. However, a new contract between Marvel Studios and POW! Entertainment could change this, since the rights to Stan Lee’s image, voice, name and likeness are now held by Marvel Studios.
Recently, it was revealed that Marvel Studios struck a 20-year deal with Genius Brands and POW! Entertainment, which gives them access to Stan Lee’s name, voice, likeness, and signature in film and television projects, as well as images, existing footage, and existing audio recordings. All this can be used in theme parks, water parks, cruise lines and merchandise included in Disney parks, experiences and products. Here’s what Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO of Genius Brands, had to say about it:
“We are proud to be the stewards of the incredibly valuable rights to the Stan Lee name, likeness, merchandise and intellectual property brand. And there’s no better place than Marvel and Disney for Stan to be for his movies and theme park experiences. As we enter the centenary of Stan’s birthday on December 28, 2022, we are thrilled to see that his memory and his legacy will continue to delight fans through this new long-term deal with Marvel.”
For his part, this was what Gill Champion, president of POW! Entertainment:
“As a long-time friend and business partner of Stan, I am looking forward to commemorating his work in this new way. Building a connection with his fans is important to us and it’s a privilege to have to do that on his behalf.”
At the moment it is not 100% clear what will be done with the image of Stan Lee. Although the idea of seeing products with the face of the comic creator is more than safethere is also the possibility that we will see more cameos in the MCU, similar to what happened with Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
In related topics, you can already see here the new trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawthe new series for Disney +.
Editor’s Note:
It’s a shame that a person can’t just die and that’s it. Apparently, the image of Stan Lee is a product to be consumed. Unfortunately, the comic creator’s family can’t do anything about it, as they already fought for the rights, but lost to Genius Brands.
Via: comic book