Stan Lee Documentary Reveals His Difficult Final Years

A new documentary called Stan Lee: The Final Chapter will be released on July 28 on video-on-demand (VOD). The film looks at the last four years of Marvel legend Stan Lee's life before he passed away in 2018 at the age of 95.

The documentary focuses on Lee's relationship with his former road manager, Max Anderson, who has been accused of taking control of Lee's business and finances.

In one scene from the film, Stan Lee asks Anderson how much money he made after a busy autograph signing event. Anderson replies, "Not enough. It's never enough, Stan."

People who worked with Lee say they often counted large amounts of cash after fan events. Producer Alex Barajas says there was very little supervision, and the money was simply handed over to Anderson after it was counted.

Former business development manager Jerry Blank said he helped count the money but did not know what happened to it afterward.

Lee's former assistant Jon Bolerjack said Lee once asked him how much money he had earned from convention appearances. Bolerjack was surprised because Lee did not know the total amount. Lee told him that Anderson said he would provide the information later, but never did.

The documentary also includes footage of Lee talking about confusing bank transactions. Lee said Anderson deposited cash into a bank account, asked him to sign documents, and later moved the money to another account. Lee said he wanted a written explanation but never received one.

Anderson began working with Stan Lee in 2007 and eventually managed many of his public appearances while also helping with his personal care.

In 2025, Anderson was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for tax fraud after failing to report $1.2 million in income connected to his work with Lee. He has denied stealing money and has said he was never paid for his work.

Stan Lee's daughter, J.C. Lee, also filed a lawsuit accusing Anderson of taking more than $21 million from her father. The lawsuit was later settled. Anderson denied handling money from autograph signings and appearance fees.

Stan Lee: The Final Chapter will premiere at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23 before its VOD release on July 28. The film aims to give viewers a closer look at the challenges Stan Lee faced during the final years of his life.