Deadpool creator cuts ties with Marvel after being ’embarrassed’ at film premiere
'The message is clear,' he claims.
Rob Liefeld, the creator of Deadpool, has severed ties with Marvel after feeling ‘diminished’ by the studio.
The comic book artist rose to prominence in the 1990s and is known for co-creating the characters Cable, associated with X-Men, and Deadpool, whom he created with writer Fabian Nicieza.
Liefeld, 57, has worked with comic book publisher Marvel for three decades, with the latest instalment in the franchise being Deadpool & Wolverine, in which Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprise their iconic roles, respectively.
Hitting cinemas in July 2024, this marked the first movie released in the series since Disney acquired Fox, a deal completed in March 2019. The movie grossed $1.338billion (£1.071bn) at the box office against a $200million (£161m) budget.
However, Liefeld has now spoken out against Disney bosses, including Kevin Feige, who has been a primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise since 2007.
He says execs have made him feel ‘ignored’, particularly after supposedly not being invited to the afterparty of Deadpool & Wolverine’s New York premiere last year, an invitation he had grown accustomed to receiving.
The comic book creator attended the NYC premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine last summer (Picture: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Disney) He claims he was made to feel ’embarrassed’ when he was snubbed from the afterparty (Picture: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Disney)Liefeld began on his podcast, Robservations: ‘It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me.’
‘At some point, you go, “I’ve received the message, and the message is clear”,’ he added on the alleged snub.
Liefeld also said Feige was close by him on the red carpet but did not acknowledge him.
At the premiere, Liefeld posed for photos on the carpet with creative members of the Deadpool & Wolverine team. Later on, though, his publicist reportedly told him the professional images had been deleted.
Liefeld believes they were never intended for use but were merely taken as common courtesy.
In contrast, photos of Liefeld alone at the event in July, as well as with his family, appeared online in Disney’s Getty press album of the night.
On when the switch-up in treatment came, Liefeld claims attitudes towards him changed after his character moved over to Disney.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprised their roles as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, for the latest instalment in the hit franchise (Picture: AP) Liefeld created Deadpool in 1991 (Picture: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images) He claims he was treated differently after his character was moved over to Disney from Fox (Picture: Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)In the first Deadpool movie, Fox allowed him a cameo.
‘They had me along for the ride, and I caused zero drama,’ Liefeld said. ‘I was happy to be there.’
Then, one month before the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, he requested heftier involvement in the marketing and promotion.
Liefeld also asked for a special credit at the end of the film, different to the standard mention assigned to comic book creators.
He wrote to bosses via 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 it all.’
Alas, Liefeld allegedly did not receive the response he desired, later posting on X: ‘My reps were screamed at today, “We are NOT Fox!” Tell me about it. Also hung up on.’
Liefeld is not the first comic book illustrator to speak out against Marvel (Picture: Gary Gershoff/WireImage)
