Deadpool’s Rob Liefeld is cutting ties with Marvel.
Liefeld is a comic book creator who is best known for inventing Deadpool with Fabian Nicieza and Cable with Louise Simonson. His work has been adapted to film by Marvel a number of times, the most recent example being 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Liefeld has now cut ties with Marvel Studios following an experience he felt was meant to “embarrass, diminish,” and “defeat” him.
What issues does Deadpool’s Rob Liefeld have with Marvel?
In an episode of his Robservations podcast, Rob Liefeld explained that his problems with Marvel Studios began in early 2023.
The issues started when Liefeld learned that “the company made the controversial decision to change the credits on Wolverine, awarding co-creator status to editor Roy Thomas. The character was created decades before Liefeld worked in comics, but he is close to Christine Valada, the widow of late Wolverine co-creator Len Wein, who was upset with the decision.”
Then, in June 2024, Liefeld wrote an email to Marvel asking for a special credit on Deadpool & Wolverine. He did not ask for any money but did further inquire about access to movie premieres and other opportunities.
“Marvel’s treatment of creators has never been their strength,” his email said. “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….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.”
Liefeld never received an official response to his email. However, it was at the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine that he learned that he and his family had not been invited to the afterparty.
“He also felt snubbed by Disney brass, including Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, whom he says was near him on the red carpet but did not acknowledge him,” The Hollywood Reporter’s article notes. “…And there was another apparent slight: Liefeld said he posed for professional photos with creatives on the Deadpool & Wolverine team, but later was told by his publicist that those photos were deleted. He believes they were only taken as a courtesy and not intended to be used, though other photos, featuring Liefeld alone as well as with his family, appeared as part of Disney’s Getty press portal from the event.”
‘Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well,’ said Liefeld
In the Robservations podcast, Liefeld stated: “Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience.”
He wrote on X,” Not so much as a single handshake. Classless.”
Liefeld did acknowledge that he was invited to London for a set visit when Deadpool & Wolverine was in production, though he did say he “began to feel unwelcome” there and didn’t elaborate further.
He further told The Hollywood Reporter, “Do I think [Feige] can improve his relationship with comic creators? Yes.”
Liefeld — whose final work for Marvel Comics, Deadpool Team-Up #5, releases on February 12 — added, “You can’t always share your hits. Sometimes you have to share your misses. This one was a miss. It was important for me to do the podcast, so people could hear my voice. You didn’t hear anyone who was angry. At times, it was hard to hide how sad I was.”
Originally reported by Brandon Schreur on SuperHeroHype.
