Stan Lee’s superheroes The Excelsiors to be reborn for graphic novel, TV and movies

Michael Uslan (left) with Stan Lee

MIPCOM: Kartoon Studios has unveiled plans to bring the late Stan Lee’s superhero ensemble IP The Excelsiors to life as a graphic novel as well as TV series and movies.

The studios, which holds a controlling partner of the Stan Lee Universe, plans to draw on the IP and develop it as a graphic novel in partnership with Legible Comics, and into television and film adaptations, co-developed with Michael Uslan, originator and exec producer of the Batman film franchise.

Set in the near future, The Excelsiors revolves around a team of 10 superheroes working for a giant multi-national corporation called Amaz-Ing Tech, where global corporations rule the world instead of governments.

The team’s superheroes include a doctor called X-Otic, who has extracted superpowers from roots and plants she cultivated as a naturalist; X-T, the only extraterrestrial member of the group; a shapeshifter called X-Change; and other characters called X-Hale, X-Tricate, X-Isle and X-Ecutioner.

“Stan always told me 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. Our north star is to write these books like Stan is looking over our shoulders,” said Uslan.

The new production will add to Kartoon Studios’s existing portfolio of original IP, which is available on the group’s Kartoon Channel! and streaming service Ameba.

This includes original animated series Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Shaq’s Garage, with Shaquille O’Neal; and Rainbow Rangers. It also includes Netflix original Llama Llama, featuring Jennifer Garner.