Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld cuts Marvel ties after anger at premiere treatment
‘Deadpool’ creator Rob Liefeld has cut ties with Marvel after expressing unhappiness with his treatment at the premiere of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’.
The 57-year-old comic book writer is the brainchild behind the wise-cracking hero and has had a lengthy relationship with Marvel but bemoaned how he felt sidelined at the New York premiere of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ – the first film in the franchise to be released since Disney acquired Fox and the character was integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Liefeld claimed that he felt ignored by Disney bosses, including Marvel chief Kevin Feige, at the event last July and was disappointed to discover that he and his family had not been invited to the premiere after-party.
Speaking on his ‘Robservations’ podcast, Liefeld said: “It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me.
“At some point, you go, ‘I’ve received the message, and the message is clear’.”
Liefeld – who created the character of ‘Deadpool’ in 1991 – explained that he requested more involvement in terms of marketing and promotion on the movie and also requested a special credit different from the standard one granted to comic book creators at the end of the flick.
He wrote in an email: “Marvel’s treatment of creators has never been their strength. Without the worlds, the characters and the concepts that we create – and in this specific case, the world of Deadpool – there are no films to shoot. No blockbusters to distribute… I am not the easy button at Staples. I am the human imagination behind at all.”
Liefeld added: “Comic book creators cannot continue to be relegated as afterthoughts. This is easy to address. Unless I reach out to address it, it will never manifest.”
The comic book creator previously suggested that Marvel was to blame for the delay to ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ – which was released six years after ‘Deadpool 2’.
Liefeld told ComicBook.com in 2020: “I blame Marvel… blame Marvel that it hasn’t happened yet.
“They are the reason it isn’t happening. Whatever conundrum or it didn’t fit into your master plan, just commission it. Okay, commission it.”
He also suggested that he lacked “faith” in Marvel and felt that the foul-mouthed hero wouldn’t fit into the family-friendly MCU.
Liefeld said: “If Ryan (Reynolds) isn’t making ‘Deadpool 3’ right now, that’s because Marvel hasn’t allowed it to be yet and that’s all I’m saying.
“So, do I have a lot of faith in that system? Dude, I have no idea. So this is where I’m not that, I’m not giving you the answers you want. I’m like yeah, yeah. Look if it happens, terrific.”
