A new documentary is shedding light on one of the biggest regrets of Stan Lee’s life, and it has everything to do with Disney.
The film, titled “Stan Lee: The Final Chapter,” was shot roughly a month before Lee’s death and captures the Marvel legend reflecting candidly on his business missteps. “Nobody has made more bad business decisions than I have,” Lee admits in a clip shared exclusively with Page Six.
According to Lee, Disney offered him a contract during acquisition talks that would have given him 10 percent of Marvel’s profits. “Disney wanted to buy Marvel, and they offered me a contract giving me ten percent of Marvel‘s profits, so I said, ‘Man, that’s wonderful,'” he recalls. But a lawyer convinced him to take a lump-sum payment instead, arguing it was the safer route. Lee later suspected the advice wasn’t entirely selfless: the lawyer, he said, “wanted me to take it now because he wanted his share.”
The lump sum came out to $6 million, and after the lawyer’s cut, Lee said he was left with $3 million. Had he waited for the profit-sharing deal instead, the math would have looked very different. “If I had waited for this contract to come through, I would’ve been part owner of Disney,” Lee says in the film. “I would’ve been indescribably wealthy.”
It’s worth noting the documentary doesn’t clarify exactly what Lee believed he was selling, since he was a Marvel employee and didn’t personally hold the rights to the characters he co-created. Marvel’s ownership changed hands several times over the years before Disney acquired the company outright in 2009 for $4 billion. Disney also picked up a stake in Lee’s own production company, POW! Entertainment, and Lee had previously sued Marvel over film profits from his characters, settling that case in 2005.
Beyond the financial regrets, “Stan Lee: The Final Chapter” paints a difficult picture of the creator’s last years, touching on legal battles, estate disputes, and allegations that people close to him took advantage of his trust. Producer Jon Bolerjack, who spent a decade making the film, said the goal was to document what Lee actually went through. “Witnessing the treatment that Stan endured during those final years, especially at his age, really changes you,” Bolerjack said, adding that those around Lee “believed they were untouchable.”
“Sharing the truth about those years is something I owed to Stan and to his fans,” Bolerjack said.
“Stan Lee: The Final Chapter” is set to premiere at San Diego Comic-Con later this month. A Disney spokesperson declined to comment on the claims made in the documentary.
You May Also Enjoy: Avengers: Doomsday Is Taking the MCU Back to “Phase Zero” Here’s Why Marvel Is Hitting the Reset Button
Mouse Fan Travel® an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, has been planning and creating magical Disney vacations since 2005. Their mission is to provide premium service and expert advice to help you get the most for your vacation time and dollar. Their Disney Travel Agents operate with the highest degree of integrity and will handle your family vacation, reunion, honeymoon, corporate incentive trip or getaway, as if it were their own. They pride themselves on expertly representing and advocating for you – their client.
The next time you and your family are planning a Disney vacation, visit Mouse Fan Travel for your no obligation quote or to answer any Disney vacation questions you may have. Are you looking for a beach vacation, tour or cruise to destinations across the globe? Visit MEI-Travel for exceptional expertise with ZERO agency fees.