Yes, we know that Stan Lee passed away in 2018. Avengers: Endgame was the last appearance of the most charismatic creator of the entire Marvel universe in comics. But his death was not the only reason for Lee's image to stop appearing at specific moments in the house movies. POW! Entertainment, a production company that Stan Lee co-founded in 2001, owned his image rights.
Genius Brand International and POW! Entertainment have signed an agreement whereby the image of the creator is transferred for the next 20 years. Disney theme parks, experiences or merchansing. And what is more important: for Marvel series and movies for the next two decades.
How will Stan Lee be brought back to life? “Through digital technology and stock footage and other ways, you will live in the most important place, Marvel movies and Disney theme parks,” Genius Brands CEO Andy Heyward said in a statement. It is not a novelty for the Disney house. Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia in Star Wars, died before finishing the saga. The Last Jedi had to resort to archive images of the actress to, through CGI technology, create the scenes in which the icon of history occupied a leading role.Stan Lee, of whom Disney also keeps a long repertoire of images from his previous collaborations with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will follow the same path for the next 20 years.
Stan Lee and POW!, a complicated story.
Stan Lee was the founder of POW!, but he was also the one who sued his own company shortly before he died. In fact, the last years of his life were plagued by complaints about people who wanted to take away his income and economic problems. According to the creator, the executives of POW! they had falsified documents and his signature in order to license his name and image without his permission. According to Lee, POW had entered into an agreement with Camsing International, a Hong Kong-based company, to profit at their expense. He also stated that this agreement was conceived during the terminal illness of his wife and when he himself began to suffer from vision problems at the age of 92.
An agreement that, in fact, was exclusive with the Asian firm. This, as expected, was a problem for a Stan Lee linked to Marvel and Disney. Not only with his creations, but also with his appearances, always expected, in each of the films of the saga.
The conflict ended in court, as expected and in the end with a complaint dismissed by Lee himself shortly before his death. 4 years later, POW! points out that this agreement with Marvel – without a doubt lucrative for the company – is a way of honoring the image of the creator of the universe of superheroes. How could it be otherwise, Disney had to be one of the first options for the company.
Now we just have to wait for the next movie in which we will see the CGI version of Stan Lee.
