Joan Lee, daughter of Stan Lee, weighs in on Sony/Disney split

Joan C “JC” Lee, daughter of the late Stan Lee, says Marvel and Disney lack “genuine respect for Stan Lee and his legacy,” according to TMZ.

Lee’s comments arrive in reaction to the recently reported spat between Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures, over Marvel Studios’ right to use Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Sony’s right to produce Spider-Man films with Marvel Cinematic Universe characters.

“Marvel and Disney seeking total control of my father’s creations must be checked and balanced by others who, while still seeking to profit, have genuine respect for Stan Lee and his legacy,” she told TMZ.

“Whether it’s Sony or someone else’s, the continued evolution of Stan’s characters and his legacy deserves multiple points of view,” she continued.

Spider-Man is a co-creation of Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko.

Perhaps most shockingly, Lee also told TMZ that she did not receive condolences from Disney after her father’s death in 2018.

“When my father died, no one from Marvel or Disney reached out to me. From day one, they have commoditized my father’s work and never shown him or his legacy any respect or decency. [...] In the end, no one could have treated my father worse than Marvel and Disney’s executives.”

Stan Lee made cameo appearances in 23 films in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, some during a period in which his affairs were managed by Keya Morgan, who now faces charges of elder abuse in the state of California for his treatment of Lee.

Following his death, many of the folks behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe spoke publicly about the debt they owe to Lee’s work, including Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger. The film studio has also made multiple visual and textual tributes to Lee following his death in MCU theatrical releases.