Stan Lee's LEGION OF 5: The First Franchise of the New Hollywood
Production Diaries — by Lee Baker, 2026-07-11
LEGION OF 5 is a superhero franchise created by Stan Lee — five young heroes mistakenly armed with super abilities who must stop a force the military cannot control. The live-action feature is currently in production on Paralight with a signed cast including Orel Elhadad, Eric Roberts, Kevin Sorbo, Gary Stretch, Columbus Short, and Osmariel Villalobos.
Every franchise on the all-time box office list began the same way: characters worth believing in. The Marvel Cinematic Universe — over $32 billion worldwide — runs on characters Stan Lee co-created. Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men: the most valuable character catalog in entertainment history traces to one storyteller.
LEGION OF 5 is a new team of heroes from that same storyteller — and the first franchise being produced in the New Hollywood.
The story
Created by Stan Lee: five young heroes, mistakenly armed with super abilities, struggle with their own personal battles as they join together to fight a super-powered force the military cannot control. The Legion Universe begins here.
The cast is real — and signed
This is a live-action feature with attached, signed talent:
- Orel Elhadad in the lead role — a high-school girl determined to become quarterback on the boys' football team
- Eric Roberts as Coach Roberts, the high-school football coach
- Kevin Sorbo as Achilles Zagg, the military technological genius behind the team's uniforms, vehicles, and weapons
- Gary Stretch as Dr. Anton Fleisher, leader of the supervillain team
- Columbus Short as Sam Crosby — code name Tranzit, the power of teleportation
- Osmariel Villalobos as Mary Mendoza — code name Bloodthorne
- And the Legion themselves: Samuil Srebrev (Jack Cooper), Pierce Baker (Lloyd Harper / Fleetfoot), Malcolm Baez (Harry Jackson / Kinetik), Hyunjun Suk (Joe Lee / X), and Orel Elhadad (Janet Harper / Replika)
Why production looks nothing like a Marvel shoot
LEGION OF 5 is in production on Paralight, the AI filmmaking platform. The actors' performances, likenesses, and voices are captured and licensed — with consent and compensation — and the film is produced generatively: no soundstages, no six-month location shoot, no $200 million physical production. The scale of a superhero universe, produced at a fraction of the traditional cost.
That sentence would have been science fiction five years ago. It is now simply the production method — and LEGION OF 5 is the proof of what the method can carry: a franchise designed for sequels, spin-offs, and the full character universe Stan Lee's stories have always become.
Where to follow it
LEGION OF 5 leads the Coming Soon slate at Paralightstar, with distribution through Paralight+. The New Hollywood's first franchise is being built in public — and this journal will document the production as it happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Stan Lee really create LEGION OF 5?
Yes — the story and characters of LEGION OF 5 were created by Stan Lee, and the film launches the new Legion Universe franchise.
Who stars in LEGION OF 5?
The signed cast includes Orel Elhadad, Eric Roberts, Kevin Sorbo, Gary Stretch, Columbus Short, and Osmariel Villalobos, with Samuil Srebrev, Pierce Baker, Malcolm Baez, Hyunjun Suk, and Orel Elhadad as the Legion.
How is the film being made?
In production on Paralight, the AI filmmaking platform — real actors’ licensed performances and likenesses, produced generatively rather than through traditional physical production.
When and where can I watch it?
LEGION OF 5 is coming to theaters this year. Plan to see it between Halloween and Christmas. Then it will be streamed at Paralight+ (paralightplus.com); follow paralightstar.com for casting news, first looks, and release timing.