‘Stan Lee: The Final Chapter': Jon Bolerjack Documentary Chronicles Tragic End For The Marvel Legend

Forbes

20-03-2025

HOLLYWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 20: Stan Lee attends the Premiere of Disney and Marvel Studios' "Doctor ... [+] Strange" on October 20, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by)
A pioneer. An icon. A creator and writer. An individual with a vision for positive and lasting storytelling through an array of legendary fictional outsiders fighting for a better society. It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine what pop culture would be like at present minus the unprecedented contributions of Stan Lee through his work with Marvel Comics.
From his first superhero, the Destroyer, to Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Thor to the Avengers, the Hulk, the X-Men, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange and the countless others, Stan Lee's roster of fictional heroic superheroes were outsiders who fight for a better society. They wanted love. They wanted peace. They wanted to fit into a world where acceptance was no guarantee. And the comic books that featured them were often used as metaphors for social issues (the X-Men, for example, were representative of discrimination).
NEW YORK: A rare first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book series valued around $30,000 is ... [+] seen at a press preview for the Big Apple Comic Book, Art and Toy Show June 4, 2004 in New York City. The show will be held June 5th at Penn Plaza Pavillion. (Photo by)
From the Beginning
Rising through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics beginning as an assistant in 1939, which later became Marvel Comics, Stan Lee in 1960 shifted his storytelling from the generic perfection typically written for preteens to more substantial stories with characters, flawed at times, who spoke like real people. It was an aspect of storytelling for which Marvel became known for. It separated Marvel from its chief competitor, DC Comics. And it cemented Lee's status as one of the most recognized names in comic book history.
TURIN, ITALY - APRIL 12: Close Up of X-Men comics during the Torino Comics 2024 on April 12, 2024 in ... [+] Turin, Italy. (Photo by)
Stan Lee was instrumental in elevating the category from the perception of simply frivolous entertainment for children to the worldwide art form of today. But Lee, himself, who is now the subject new documentary Stan Lee: The Final Chapter, was also not without his own imperfections.
Jon Bolerjack, a documentary filmmaker who also buys and sells comic books, met Stan Lee about one decade ago through a mutual friend to pitch Lee about participating in a reality series he was planning about him. Lee agreed, and the pair formed a close friendship in his final years. But with time, and upon observation, Bolerjack decided to shift the focus of the reality series to Lee's later years.
'As we were shooting the initial footage, I was getting the feeling there was a bigger story to tell,' said Jon Bolerjack, whose experience prior to Stan Lee: The Final Years includes working with Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner in Food Inc., Command and Control and Merchants of Doubt; and producing documentary shorts. 'The premise of the reality series would have followed Stan to conventions, traveling the world, doing the red carpets and the cameo appearances; basically a slice of life Stan Lee style.'
'In time, however, Stan's story evolved,' he said. 'There was more to it. And it is important for me to tell it.'
Jon Bolerjack and Marvel legend Stan Lee.
Following his retirement from Marvel in the 1990s, Stan Lee traveled to fan gatherings and conventions (Comic Con, in particular) across the world. The outcry from his legion of enthusiasts has built over the years, lifting him to iconic celebrity status. By the time he passed away in 2018, Lee had also filmed 38 cameos in Marvel-related films and television series, not to mention lending his voice to two feature-length animated movies and other media-related guest spots.
Stan Lee was the voice – and the face – of Marvel.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 07: Stan Lee speak onstage at Stan Lee Creators Roundtable at Madison Square ... [+] Garden on October 7, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by)
'When I felt the reality series was not coming together how I envisioned it, I talked to Stan and asked if I could keep filming until I found the story,' remembered Bolerjack. 'At a certain point, he stopped being Stan Lee the icon to simply Stan Lee the guy. This is where I really got to know him. He put his trust in me, and I found the story I knew I needed to tell. But it was not the happiest of endings'Stan Lee Controversy
In April 2018, a video recorded on a cellphone from the Silicon Valley Comic Con surfaced, featuring Stan Lee, then age 95, appearing confused and unable to sign his name (for a reported $120 per picture). According to published reports, one of his handlers, among many, coached the barely cognizant Marvel icon through the task.
Reports of his abuse had been gathering since the death of his beloved wife Joan one year earlier.
'That man is a legend and you shuffled him around like he was a bag of money!,' wrote one observer on Facebook.
In the aftermath of the Silicon Valley Comic Con video, there were other allegations about money stolen from Lee's bank accounts, his property in jeopardy, and his health in decline.
Shortly later, an article documenting years of questionable activity around Lee published by the Hollywood Reporter. It accused his advisers of taking over his management and finances and using the aging icon to enrich themselves, while showing little concern for Lee's physical or mental well-being.
'Stan was an overly trusting person; funny and entertaining; and he hated disappointing anyone. But his track record doing business deals might have made him a target to be manipulated,' noted Bolerjack. 'Stan was creative, but not a businessman. He did not even own a piece of Spider-Man. His foundation was his wife, and when she died in 2017 he started having a harder time remembering things. He started becoming disoriented; age had caught up with him. And that is when the documentary really kicks in.'
'You will never see anything more honest or real about Stan Lee. He granted me unfettered access, all with the goal to get his story out there,' noted Bolerjack. 'And he wanted it to serve as a warning to others.'
Kickstarter Campaign
At present, there is no official outlet attached to Stan Lee: The Final Chapter. After years of collecting footage, Jon Bolerjack is seeking $300,000 through Kickstarter to reach the finish line.
'Stan wasn't just an icon in the comic community, he had a profound impact on all of pop culture today,' wrote Bolerjack on Kickstarter. 'Spread the word so that we can fully honor this man who has touched the lives of so many.
'One of my hopes for the film is that when you watch it, you are going to be as enamored with Stan the guy next door as well as Stan the man who made Spider-Man,' concluded Bolerjack. 'I want to make a good film first and then I want the world to see it. Stan Lee made a positive difference in our world and I am committed to telling his true story and making sure people see it.'
Marvel legend Stan Lee remains the face behind the comic book dynasty.