Even years after his death, comic book legend Stan Lee‘s on-screen legacy continues to grow, and one of his unseen comic book teams will soon be getting the TV and silver screen treatment. Stan Lee is known for co-creating beloved Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Doom, Miles Morales, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four and more, as well as his iconic catchphrase “Excelsior!”
Per The Wrap, The Excelsiors will be a new multimedia project, which will kick off with a brand new graphic novel, published by indie comics label, Legible Comics. A new TV show and movie are also being developed by Kartoon Studios. The overall project is being produced by Michael Uslan, who has worked as a producer on every Batman movie since Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster.
The Excelsiors will feature one of Stan Lee’s largest team-ups, comprising 10 new superheroes. In true Stan Lee fashion, all the characters have incredible pun names. The full line-up includes, X-Otic, X-T, X-Change, X-Hale, X-Tricate, X-Isle, and X-Ecutioner. The project is set in a near-futuristic world where the world is run by super-corporations rather than governments. The Excelsiors themselves work for the mysterious “Amaz-Ing Tech LLC.” Michael Ulsan promised that the new project will honor the incredible legacy of Stan Lee. He said:
“Stan always told me that the most exciting superheroes could only meet their potential if matched by equally worthy and interesting supervillains. We expect to do Stan justice by not only having extraordinary superheroes but extraordinarily interesting supervillains. This was Stan’s baby, and I fully understand the gravity of overseeing this team to carry forth his vision”
Stan Lee’s Cinematic Legacy Will Be Timeless
Stan Lee first began writing comics in 1939, when he was employed by Timely Comics. In 1961, the company rebranded itself, and was henceforth known as Marvel Comics. The same year, Stan Lee co-created The Fantastic Four, alongside Jack Kirby. In the years that followed, Lee co-created some of the most popular superheroes ever made, like the aforementioned Spider-Man and The Hulk, as well as many, many more who have since become internationally recognizable thanks to the MCU.
In the 21st Century, Stan Lee was best known for his cameos in every Marvel movie — both in the MCU and Fox’s X-Men universe. As well as featuring incredible superhero movies, the early MCU became the film equivalent of Where’s Waldo?, as fans would eagerly await the comic book legend’s cameos. Some fans even theorized that Lee played one of The Watchers in the MCU. After his passing in 2018, Lee’s final MCU cameo was, rather fittingly, in Avengers Endgame.
Related
Stan Lee Demanded Kevin Smith Change One of His First Ever Cameos
“I thought that was incredibly sweet,” said Kevin Smith about Stan Lee’s Mallrats demand.
Marvel fans now live in a post-Stan Lee world, where his big screen cameos have become a thing of the past. What’s most shocking, is that the next generation of MCU fans won’t even know about the creator, until they go back and watch the entire cinematic timeline, starting with Iron Man, (or The Incredible Hulk if they want to torture themselves).
No release date has been announced for The Excelsiors graphic novel, TV, or movie adaptations.