For decades, Stan Lee was the king of comic conventions. Now, nearly seven years after his death at the age of 95, he will once again be a presence at L.A. Comic Con, this time as a hologram that will use AI to have conversations with fans.
Fans will be able to speak with the hologram at the Stan Lee Experience section of the con, a 1,500 ft. enclosed booth which costs between $15-$20 to enter, depending on whether you buy tickets ahead of time. And like meeting a celebrity or getting autographs, there will be paid opportunities to take photos with the hologram or have a three-minute, one-on-one conversation with it.
“We’ll never put words in his mouth that aren’t in line with things he spoke about in his lifetime,” said Bob Sabouni, Head of Stan Lee Legacy Programs for Kartoon Studios and a former Marvel executive. “Fortunately, with decades of footage capturing his thoughts on so many subjects, we can build a voice that stays true, not always word for word, but always faithful in spirit, context, and intent.”
The hologram hails from Proto Hologram, the company that recently helped launch an interactive mirror from The Conjuring in 47 malls, as well as Hyperreal, a company known for creating realistic avatars.
Lee, who co-created characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man and Daredevil, was the most visible face for comic book culture of all time, known far beyond fan circles thanks to his cameos in Marvel movies.
According to organizers, the Lee hologram may also pop up in different parts of the convention as a surprise, perhaps to introduce a top-tier panel or two.
In 2016, Lee spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about L.A. Comic Con, which at the time was undergoing a name change.
“Los Angeles is, to me, the center of the world’s entertainment. It has to have a Comic Con,” he said.
This year’s convention runs from Sept. 26-28.