This week Marvel Studios and Genius Brands signed a twenty year deal with Stan Lee Universe, giving them permission to use the name and likeness of Stan Lee, the beloved co-creator of popular comic book characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and hundreds of others.
Lee gained newfound fame and notoriety in his later years, as he made cameo appearances in nearly every Marvel movie and TV project, until his death in November 2018.
Under the terms of this new deal, Marvel Studios will have the rights to use Lee's name, voice and likeness in future films and TV series, as well as in its theme parks and cruise lines.
According to the agreement, Lee would appear through the use of archival footage, digital technology and "other forms." So you know what that means— Off-putting, uncanny valley CGI Stan Lee!
Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO of Genius Brands (a partner of Stan Lee Universe) had this to say about the deal: "The company is proud to be the stewards of the incredibly valuable rights to Stan Lee's name, likeness, merchandise and intellectual property brand.. we are thrilled to see his memory and legacy will continue to delight fans through this new long-term agreement with Marvel."
Yeah, fuck right off with that, Andy.
This is in poor taste at best, and downright ghoulish at worst. By all accounts, Stan was heavily exploited in his waning years, by his business partners and family alike. He was trotted out to numerous comic cons, where he was forced to sit for photo ops and sign hundreds of autographs, despite his failing health.
Even in death the poor man can't rest, as now Marvel's literally gonna prop up his digital corpse to perform for the masses.
Stan Lee brought me hours and hours of joy as a kid, as I loved reading the stories and characters he helped create. He never wrote down to his youthful audience, and it's because of him I learned words like "annihilate" and "omnipotent."
I can honestly say I loved Stan, and when he died it felt like a family member had passed. I enjoyed seeing his cameos in all the Marvel movies too. It's been four years since he died, and I still miss him.
But all good things must come to an end. Stan's cameos were fun while they lasted, but it's time to close the book on them and move on. I don't want to see an obviously fake Stan Lee pop up in the latest Marvel offering. It just wouldn't be the same, as it'd be in very poor taste.
They did something like this in Deadpool 2 (even though Stan was still alive at the time) and it was fine. It was a nice little "Oh, look, there's Stan's face on that sign" moment.
But I gotta draw the line at dodgy-looking CGI Stan Lee homunculi. Have some respect for the co-architect of your universe, Marvel Studios, and let the guy rest in peace!
Just another in a long line of reasons why the MCU should have ended for good with Avengers: Endgame!
