New Stan Lee documentary to uncover how Marvel creator was exploited in his final years

A new documentary about Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee alleges that the comic book icon was mistreated at the hands of a few “bad actors” in the final years of his life. Stan Lee: The Final Chapter was filmed by Jon Bolerjack, a comic book artist and a former assistant to Lee in the four years before he died in 2018. To support the release of the film, Bolerjack launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign, and shared a trailer in which he details the alleged “mistreatment, manipulation, and betrayal” Lee endured before his passing. 

Sharing similar sentiments, fellow comic book artist Tyler Kirkham is heard in the trailer discussing how it “was really hard to watch” Lee being “taken advantage of” while Marvel comic book writer Mark Waid — known for his work Captain America, Fantastic Four and Daredevil — says he “had no idea how badly [Lee] had been exploited.” Alongside those two comic book authors, The Final Chapter will also include interviews with Rob Liefeld and Roy Thomas, who are known for co-creating the character of Deadpool and succeeding Lee as the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, respectively. 

It’s thought that the documentary will delve into the allegations that Lee was the victim of elder abuse in the years before his death at the age of 95. The Hollywood Reporter investigated such allegations in a 2018 exposé, detailing claims that individuals had improperly influenced Lee’s family members and worked to gain control of his assets and money. In 2023, Lee’s estate lost an elder abuse lawsuit against a former attorney, who was named as one of the individuals allegedly influencing his assets. 

While it doesn’t refer to him by name, one person who appears in the Final Act trailer is Max Anderson, Lee’s former road manager for many of his convention appearances. Anderson was embroiled in the controversy when he was named in The Hollywood Reporter’s investigation, though he has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Bolerjack’s documentary is said to be the result of hundreds of hours of footage compiled by the assistant during the pair’s various trips to comic book signings and conventions. 

Bolerjack met Lee through a mutual friend, with the former pitching the idea of filming a reality series centered on Lee. When Lee agreed, Bolerjack became part of the comic book icon’s entourage. “I grew to look at him as a friend, as family, and I really wanted to be there to advocate for him,” Bolerjack told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that he was “doing the best I could” to lessen Lee’s gruelling schedule in his final years. The documentarian also admitted that he broke the “cardinal rule” of becoming close to his subject, and said he believes Lee wanted the story of his exploitation to be known by the public. 

“A lot of things have happened to him, but I didn’t get the real sense that he felt shame about it,” Bolerjack said. “I think he wanted it out there to be that sort of warning.” Bolerjack is seeking $300,000 through Kickstarter to complete The Final Chapter, with the money going towards finalizing post-production and paying volunteer crew and legal fees.