Stan Lee: The Final Chapter trailer release – Jon Bolerjack exposes Marvel star’s tumultuous final years

Stan Lee holds significant recognition as a comic book legend. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics – later earning the name ‘Marvel Comics’. His journey from a small publishing house to a multimedia corporation is inspiring.

Born in 1922, Lee co-created iconic characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four and Doctor Strange. His stardom is unmatchable in the comic industry. But all of this fame comes at a price. For Lee, it became a big expense.

Jon Bolerjack exposing Stan Lee’s tough final years

Filmmaker Jon Bolerjack first met Stan Lee a decade ago through a mutual friend. They quickly became close and Bolerjack started joining Lee’s entourage. But as days passed, Bolerjack began to see firsthand the toll that Lee’s demanding schedule had on him.

Bolerjack has put considerable effort into preparing a documentary – Stan Lee: The Final Chapter – in an effort to expose the comic book legend’s tumultuous final years. The trailer for the highly anticipated documentary released on YouTube on March 11.

In the description of the trailer, it has been highlighted that ‘Stan Lee: The Final Chapter’ details the shocking allegations of exploitation and neglect that the comic book legend suffered at the end of his life. He has also started a Kickstarter to support the project.

The Kickstarter programme for the upcoming documentary has set a goal of $300,000. So far, more than $49,000 has been collected and there are at least 267 backers. This project is only going to be funded if it reaches its goal.

Constant pressure taking a toll on Stan Lee

For someone so popular as Stan Lee, it may come as a surprise to many that the Marvel legend faced such a tough time during his final years. Jon Bolerjack is a self-proclaimed comic book enthusiast and has a background in documentary filmmaking.

In the beginning of the trailer, Bolerjack described himself as an assistant, confidant and friend of Lee. He recalls the first moments as he noticed Lee’ hardships – the busy comic book signings, the travelling and the constant pressure.

Stan Lee died at the age of 95 on November 12, 2018. After his retirement from Marvel in the 1990s, it has been reported that he remained a public figurehead for the company. He frequently made cameo appearances and engaged in other activities.

Mistreatment and conflict threatening Stan Lee’s life and legacy

The trailer of ‘Stan Lee: The Final Chapter’ offers a glimpse of Lee’s final days, capturing him in multiple scenes that feel both intimate and uncomfortable. The documentary does not explicitly name the people involved.

But one thing is clear: Lee’s inner circle does not appear to be as supportive as the public might have believed. Bolerjack is making an attempt to reveal the scale of mistreatment and conflict that threatened Lee’s life and legacy.

One significant figure appearing in the documentary is Max Anderson, Stan Lee’s former road manager. He had been part of previous investigations about the comic book legend’s deteriorating health. But Anderson has denied any misconduct.

Nonetheless, Anderson’s presence in the trailer definitely raises uncomfortable questions about Lee’s final years and the impact his close circle might have had on him. Keep an eye out for more updates on the upcoming documentary.

Stan Lee: The Final Chapter trailer: Public response

Hundreds of people have commented on the trailer clip uploaded on YouTube. The reactions, nonetheless, are mixed. One user noted: “This guy seems pretty slimy too and it feels like a cash grab off the back of someone else’s pain and misery.”

“First rule of child/elder mistreatment is see something, say something. Not film something, sell something,” another user mentioned. Many netizens are not happy about Jon Bolerjack sitting “on all of this footage for all these years.”

But many netizens expressed deep sadness for the exploitation Lee endured in his final days, as reflected in the trailer. One user said: “This makes me really sad … I read there is one coming about Jack Kirby recently.”

Many netizens have come in support of Bolerjack. “I’m so sorry him getting pushed and the guy yelling at him broke me,” one user noted in the comments section. Keep an eye out for more updates from the upcoming ‘Stan Lee: The Final Chapter’.