Documentary on Stan Lee's final years faced industry opposition, filmmaker says

Comic book enthusiast Jon Bolerjack began filming with Stan Lee in 2014, hoping to document how the legendary Marvel creator was spending his 90s. Instead, his camera captured what he describes as troubling signs of exploitation during Lee’s final years.
The documentary, 'Stan Lee: The Final Years' released on streaming platforms on Tuesday, features allegations from people close to Lee that two former managers exploited the comic icon. One of them was charged in 2019, a year after Lee’s death at 95, with fraud, theft and unlawful deprivation of liberty.
Bolerjack said he faced pressure from industry figures not to release the film, arguing that some companies preferred to preserve Lee’s cheerful public image rather than revisit the difficulties he faced.
Born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922, Lee co-created some of Marvel’s most celebrated superheroes, including Spider-Man and Black Panther. The documentary also portrays him as a gifted creator but poor businessman. In one scene, Lee reflects that “nobody has made more bad business decisions than I have,” recalling how he accepted a one-time $6 million payment instead of a share of future profits during Disney’s acquisition of Marvel.
Despite regretting the deal, Bolerjack said Lee never blamed Disney or Marvel and continued to enjoy appearing in Marvel films through his popular cameos.
The filmmaker said the documentary is ultimately about protecting vulnerable people, arguing that financial exploitation can happen to anyone and highlighting the importance of trusted family members and advisers.