Kartoon Studios Developing Stan Lee’s The Excelsiors into Franchise

Kartoon Studios has revealed it is developing Stan Lee’s largest initial superhero ensemble The Excelsiors as a graphic novel, TV series and film.

The Excelsiors are a team of ten superheroes working for the multinational corporation Amaz-Ing Tech, including X-Otic, a doctor who extracted superpowers from roots and plants; X-T, an extraterrestrial who is the great-grandson of aliens that crashed near Area 57; X-Change, a shapeshifter; and more. It will be brought to the screen by Michael Uslan, originator and executive producer of the Batman film franchise.

The Excelsiors also include X-Hale, X-Tricate, X-Isle and X-Ecutioner, an almost uncontrollable force of human nature gone amok who can control wind, rain, thunder and lightning and is kept in a titanium self-containment unit, only unleashed in last resort emergencies.

The graphic novel will launch through Legible Comics.

“Stan was incredibly proud of The Excelsiors, and he was proud to have his eponymous ‘namesake’ signature, developed by his friend and collaborator, Michael Uslan,” said Andy Heyward, CEO of Kartoon Studios. “Stan took all his storytelling and character development skills, which he developed over the years at Marvel Comics, and incorporated them into The Excelsiors.”

Uslan 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 extraordinary interesting supervillains. This was Stan’s baby, and I fully understand the gravity of overseeing this team to carry forth his vision. My son David, who also worked closely with Stan and myself, will help create this universe. Our North Star is to write these books like Stan is looking over our shoulders.”