Jon Bolerjack filmed hundreds of hours of footage from the later years of Stan Lee’s life. Now, he’s turning his footage into Stan Lee: The Final Chapter, a documentary to probe Lee’s final years and the allegations that he suffered elder abuse.
Lee is the legendary comic book writer who co-created some of the most iconic superheroes while overseeing Marvel Comics as editor-in-chief. As one of the most recognizable architects of the superhero universe, his fame rose further alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was a beloved fixture in the MCU with his numerous cameos and presence at premieres and conferences. After his passing in 2017, though, fans realized they may not have seen the whole picture when they witnessed these upbeat appearances from Lee. The Hollywood Reporter published a report in 2018 alleging Lee was a victim of elder abuse. Now, Bolerjack’s documentary seeks to get to the bottom of what really happened during the later years of Lee’s life.
Jon Bolerjack announces Stan Lee: The Final Chapter
On March 11, Bolerjack announced he has been working on a secret project for several years: Stan Lee: The Final Chapter. During the last four years of Lee’s life, Bolerjack filmed hundreds of hours of footage after Lee agreed to his pitch for a reality TV show. As Bolerjack filmed, he eventually realized the project would become a documentary as he began to capture concerning things. He alleges he received Lee’s blessing for the change in the project’s direction.
Bolerjack released the official trailer for Stan Lee: The Final Chapter, though the documentary is not finished. In the trailer, he reveals he still needs help securing the funds necessary to complete the production. He believes the project is important to ensure justice for Lee, and the trailer provides a small but disturbing snapshot of why justice is necessary.
In the trailer, Bolerjack shares some of the “heartbreaking lows” he captured during Lee’s final years. Viewers see Lee in moments of exhaustion and defeat as he tries to nap backstage at events, gets bossed around by business managers, and gets chaotically hustled from airport to airport, event to event, without a break. Particularly heartbreaking footage shows him seemingly unceremoniously deposited backstage, staring at empty boxes once the signings are over.
Since the project isn’t finished and is still in the fundraising phase, it’s unclear when Stan Lee: The Final Chapter will release. Viewers will likely be waiting at least a year or so for the finished project, and that’s only if it succeeds in completing production and finds a distributor. The fact that many are interested in bringing this story to light bodes well for the documentary to become a reality somewhere down the line.
Published: Mar 12, 2025 01:35 pm