Steven McQueen, the legendary American actor who earned the nickname “King of Cool,” will be immortalized on the blockchain in a new non-fungible token collection. The 1,000 NFT set, called “The Steve McQueen – King of Cool Racing Team,” will celebrate McQueen’s legacy and grant holders access to token-gated content, events, and games.
The collection comes in partnership with several stakeholders, including the McQueen Estate, Web3 talent agency Verified Labs, Triumph Motorcycles, and Immersive Enterprise Laboratories. Contemporary artist Michael Kalish will be doing the art for the collection, and the set will launch on the Theta Network marketplace, which runs on a carbon neutral blockchain.
The McQueen Estate told Rarity Sniper, “We decided to memorialize Steve McQueen through an NFT collection now as we believe that NFTs offer a groundbreaking medium to commemorate cultural icons like Steve in the digital age.
“NFTs provide a new way to connect with fans and allow them to own a piece of McQueen’s legacy in a digital format, which can be easily shared and appreciated across the world. By creating this collection, we aim to honor Steve’s impact on popular culture and celebrate his enduring influence.”
The 1,000 NFTs will feature a motorcycle shipping crate that, when opened, will reveal a one-of-a-kind Triumph Bonneville T100 Motorcycle. Steve McQueen was a well-known racing enthusiast and motorcycle collector. He often performed his own motorcycle stunts in movies and once considered a career in racing. The collection will drop on July 14th at 9 am PST.
“We couldn’t be more honored to collaborate with visionary artist Michael Kalish, Triumph Motorcycles, and Immersive Enterprise Laboratories to bring the original ‘King of Cool’ back to life in the first ever 3D Digital Art Collection on Theta Network,” Verified Labs told Rarity Sniper. “No one lives forever, but we strive to make sure their legacies do.”
Legends Live on in Web3
While there are always public figures that live on in people’s memories long after they have passed on, the blockchain and Web3 are becoming a home to celebrate their legacies and reestablish them within modern culture. Here are three stories involving celebrities who have been immortalized on the blockchain, even though they have already passed away.
First, three months ago, Web3 company Shibuya partnered with the Bruce Lee Estate to launch an open edition Bruce Lee NFT. The NFT portrayed the martial arts legend in anime style and was successful, selling thousands of copies. Neither organization has revealed what they plan to do with the money yet.
Next, 10 months ago, a group of digital artists came together to pay tribute to David Bowie, the legendary music artist. The project, called “Bowie on the Blockchain,” featured a collection of NFT art that drew inspiration from Bowie’s legacy. Proceeds went to CARE, of which the late singer’s wife is an ambassador.
Lastly, almost a year ago, Altered State Machine (ASM), a company that builds Web3 artificial intelligence, created a Muhammad Ali blockchain boxing game. ASM said at the time that the game was to use non-fungible tokens, as well as artificial intelligence to train fighters. It created the game through a partnership with Muhammad Ali Enterprises.
As these stories show, organizations are cementing the legacies of celebrities on the blockchain. Although time will tell if these moves are successful, they are certainly causing a stir, generating enthusiasm from NFT denizens during the bear market. Rarity Sniper will follow up on the Steve McQueen drop and report back.