Kickstarter: Jonathan BolerjackStan Lee: The Final Chapter is set to explore allegations that the Marvel mogul was exploited in the last years of his life, but if you were hoping to watch the new documentary soon, there’s some bad news.
It’s hard to sum up the impact Lee had on the comic book genre. Having helped to build up Marvel to the brand it is today, he’s often credited for co-creating iconic superheroes like Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men alongside Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
Lee was no stranger to controversy, having faced increasing scrutiny for the level of credit he received in the creation of Marvel’s cape-wearers. This continued after he died in 2018 at age 95, with Kirby’s son slamming a 2023 documentary for downplaying his father’s involvement.
But Stan Lee: The Final Chapter is set to tackle an altogether different scandal: according to his assistant, Jon Bolerjack, Lee was subjected to “mistreatment, manipulation, and betrayal” in the later years of his life.
Stan Lee: The Final Chapter won’t be released anytime soon
Even though the trailer dropped on March 11, 2025, there is no release date for Stan Lee: The Final Chapter, as the new documentary is currently still crowdfunding.
Bolerjack had been covertly collecting footage of Lee for years to capture what was going on, which he’ll be using to make the doc.
However, while most projects drop trailers shortly before their release, Stan Lee: The Final Chapter is still in the production phase and there’s a chance it may never see the light of day.
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In order for it to be finished, Bolerjack’s looking to raise $300,000 to support the production of the film and compensate the crew who’ve volunteered their time to it. As it states on the page, this is an “all or nothing” project and “will only be funded if it reaches its goal by Friday, April 11 2025.”
Since launching on the same day as the trailer, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $34.5k at the time of writing. There’s currently no indication of when Stan Lee: The Final Chapter will be completed or what streaming service it will go to.
What is the documentary about?
Stan Lee: The Final Chapter puts together never-before-seen footage of the comic book legend in the last four years of his life, detailing shocking allegations of exploitation and neglect in a bid to seek justice for the Marvel boss.
Kickstarter: Jonathan BolerjackFootage in the trailer shows Lee being forced to work by “bad actors” in the business, including being made to take part in autographing memorabilia and photo opportunities despite his declining health.
“At the time I didn’t have the power to stop it, but I did have a camera and I filmed everything,” says Bolerjack.
The documentary also includes firsthand accounts from key witnesses, including Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld and Roy Thomas, Lee’s first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics.
As per the description on Kickstarter, “A rollercoaster of drama and duplicity, Stan Lee: The Final Chapter is the story of how comic book legend Stan Lee – co-creator of The Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Hulk, and Black Panther – landed in the middle of a scandal as wild as any superhero saga.
“The events are chronicled by filmmaker Jon Bolerjack who became an assistant to Stan and a fixture of his inner circle. Jon gained unprecedented access and filmed everything he saw.
“What he uncovered was a thriving market where Stan’s signatures and memorabilia were converted into huge piles of cash and rival hucksters double-crossed each other to control Stan’s fortune.
“After years of collecting this footage he’s ready to share this shockingly and truly heartbreaking story with the world. But to do that, he needs your help to get it over the finish line. We hope you’ll be a part of the journey to honor Stan’s legacy.”
Stan Lee: The Final Chapter faces backlash from Marvel fans
Although Bolerjack points out that he didn’t have the power to stop the exploitation at the time, a number of commenters have criticized the documentary film, with some calling it a “cash grab.”
Kickstarter: Jonathan Bolerjack“It feels like a cash grab off the back of someone else’s pain and misery,” said one. “Had all this footage but didn’t think to take it to authorities and even his own interaction with Stan that’s he’s putting out there for us to see seems off, never mind the stuff we don’t see.”
Another wrote, “So he just sat on all of this footage for all these years? For all these years, he did have a way to stop it… or at least try. This guy isn’t any better than those he’s making this documentary about.”
A third added, “This guy is just as exploitative as the others, why did he wait this long to drop the footage, and why is he asking for money instead of just showing it all?”
Others have criticized the Kickstarter campaign, including this person who said, “If the documentary is done then why tf is this guy trying to get 300,000 out of people on Kickstarter?”
It’s more of the same on the campaign’s page, although there are plenty of positive comments too.
“Love ya brother, wish you so much luck in this project,” said one, with another adding, “Incredible work Jon! I’m happy to support you standing up for Stan.”
For more documentary news, read about if Alec Baldwin went to prison, the American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden delay, and the biggest mistake in the Karen Read trial.
