Son Of Unsung Marvel Creator Speaks, Shatters Stan Lee’s Throne

Disney+’s post-humous piece on the life of Marvel legend Stan Lee is catching more flack than you might expect from a documentary. While the film celebrates his accomplishments in the comic book industry and his various Marvel characters, it does a disservice to another Marvel creator that is also responsible for the expansive superhero worlds portrayed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Have you heard of Jack Kirby?

Credit: Marvel Studios

Even if you’re not a comic book fan, you know Stan Lee’s name, but he certainly did not create all those characters by himself. Lee is responsible in part for heroes like The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and more, but many of those characters were created in tandem with other artists. For example, Steve Ditko is the co-creator of Spider-Man. Ever heard of him?

Perhaps as quintessential to Marvel Comics as Stan Lee was legend Jack Kirby, who passed away in 1994.  He co-created many of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters, including the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, and the Avengers, as well as the Fourth World saga for DC Comics.

Credit: Alan Light, Clay Geerdes/ Flickr

Now Jack Kirby’s family is speaking up about Disney+’s Stan Lee, and it’s the blatant erasing of Kirby’s legacy. Jack Kirby’s son Neal says,

It’s not any big secret that there has always been controversy over the parts that were played in the creation and success of Marvel’s characters. Stan Lee had the fortunate circumstance to have access to the corporate megaphone and media, and he used those to create his own myths to the creation of the Marvel character pantheon. He made himself the voice of Marvel…

…Lee had over 35 years of uncontested publicity, much, naturally, with the backing and blessing of Marvel as he boosted the Marvel brand as a side effect of boosting himself.

See his whole statement via the Twitter page granddaughter Jillian Kirby made for Jack Kirby’s legacy.

My father Neal Kirby (Jack Kirby’s son) has asked me to post this written statement in response to the Stan Lee documentary released yesterday on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/V4be2xyEJg

— Jillian Kirby (Granddaughter of Jack Kirby) (@Kirby4Heroes) June 17, 2023