Stan Lee: The Final Chapter: Everything we know so far about the new documentary
Almost seven years since Stan Lee passed, the last years of his life will be featured in the upcoming documentary titled Stan Lee: The Final Chapter. A fellow comic book artist and former assistant to Lee, Jon Bolerjack released the first trailer of the documentary on March 11, 2025, teasing conversations and memorable moments with the iconic American comic book writer during his final years.
Bolerjack claims that he collected hundreds of hours of footage chronicling the Marvel mastermind's final years. The documentary trailer gives a closer peek at how he allegedly suffered from the "mistreatment" of people closest to him.
Bolerjack also unveils a Kickstarter campaign during the trailer release to help complete the project, hoping to bring the Marvel icon's story to audiences before the year ends. Per the campaign, Stan Lee: The Final Chapter promises to be "a rollercoaster of drama and duplicity."
What is Stan Lee: The Final Chapter all about?
Per Jon Bolerjack's Kickstarter campaign, here's the documentary synopsis and what audiences can expect once it eventually comes out:
"An insider look at Stan Lee's tumultuous final years, revealing how mistreatment and conflict threatened his life and legacy."
As mentioned in the campaign, since Bolerjack was Stan Lee's assistant, he was able to join Lee's inner circle and saw firsthand what the Marvel icon went through during his final years. He reportedly followed the King of Cameos' jet-setting around the world for various events, from comic book conventions to movie premieres.
His camera was able to capture various moments of the Marvel icon, from fun ones to bad behaviors by those closest to him, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The "heartbreaking" doc, which is a collection of footage he filmed for several years leading to Lee's passing, aims to show his signatures and memorabilia were exploited. Among the allegations expected to be covered in the documentary is how his autographed memorabilia and photo opportunities were converted into "huge piles of cash," most of which allegedly never reached him or his family.
Stan Lee's final years are documented, from the power struggle to control his care and estate to the allegations of elder abuse, which The Hollywood Reporter detailed in a report dated April 10, 2018. However, Bolerjack claims that the reality was even worse than previously reported, and Stan Lee: The Final Chapter will show much of it.
Does the documentary have a trailer?
The first trailer of Stan Lee: The Final Chapter was released on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, on YouTube. The nearly 3-minute trailer starts with Jon Bolerjack narrating the work he's done with Lee:
"I traveled the world with him, witnessing firsthand the incredible highs of his legendary career, but also the heartbreaking lows."
Through a series of clips, the trailer tells the story of an elderly Stan Lee being carted around the world to comic book signings and conventions, spending hours signing autographs, despite his exhaustion. At one point in the trailer, a clip shows Lee traveling in a wheelchair, implying how the lifestyle has taken a toll on his already declining health.
Bolerjack also details in the trailer that Stan Lee: The Final Chapter will feature first-hand accounts from key witnesses "who saw the chaos and unethical acts" that happened during the Marvel legend's final years. Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld and former Marvel comic editor-in-chief Roy Thomas also take part in the documentary, as seen in the trailer, among many others in the industry.
Stan Lee: The Final Chapter doesn't have a scheduled release date yet. However, with Bolerjack's Kickstarter campaign to help finish the project, Comicbook notes that the documentary is expected to be released before the end of the year.
