Stan Lee, the creative force behind iconic Marvel characters like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, believed he received a meager $6 million from Disney due to poor legal counsel, asserting that he should have become "indescribably rich" from the deal. These sentiments are revealed in the unreleased documentary "Stan Lee: The Final Chapter," which chronicles the last four years of his life.
In an exclusive clip from the documentary obtained by Page Six, Lee recounted Disney's initial interest in acquiring Marvel. He stated that he was offered a contract that included ten percent of Marvel's profits, which he initially viewed favorably. However, a lawyer advised him to accept an upfront lump sum instead of a share of future earnings.
Lee expressed that he realized too late that the lawyer likely pushed for the immediate payout to secure his own share. "I listened to [my lawyer] and I did what he said," Lee stated, referring to accepting the $6 million deal. He also noted that the lawyer took a portion, leaving him with $3 million from the transaction.
It remains unclear precisely what rights Lee sold, as he was an employee of Marvel and did not own the rights to the characters he co-created. Marvel's intellectual property has since been acquired and resold multiple times, with Disney ultimately purchasing 100% of the rights in 2009 for $4 billion. Disney also acquired a stake in Lee's production company, POW! Entertainment.
Lee had previously engaged in legal disputes with Marvel over profits from films based on his characters, settling a claim in 2005. He reportedly reflected on the Disney deal approximately a month before his death in 2018 at the age of 95, lamenting, "If I had waited for this contract to come through, I would’ve been part owner of Disney. I would’ve been indescribably wealthy."
The Marvel universe has since evolved into a multi-billion dollar franchise for Disney. The documentary "Stan Lee: The Final Chapter" aims to provide a firsthand account of Lee's final years, highlighting his positivity amidst what the film's producer, Jon Bolerjack, described as "power struggles, exploitation, and behind-the-scenes turmoil."
Bolerjack stated that documenting Lee's experiences during those final years was a decade-long effort driven by a sense of responsibility to share the truth with Stan Lee's fans. The film is set to premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. A spokesperson for Disney declined to comment on the matter.