Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld confirms he’s quittingMarvelafter an uncomfortable experience at theDeadpool & WolverineNew York premiere. Rob Liefeld began his career in the late 1980s with contributions to Marvel and DC, but it was his work onNew MutantsandX-Forcethat made him a household name. Most importantly, Rob Liefeld’s creation of Deadpool has been his most acclaimed feat as a Marvel artist. Introduced in 1990’sNew Mutants #98, Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool gradually rose in prominence thanks to Rob Liefeld’s art and Fabian Nicieza’s writing. Thirty-four years after his comic book debut, Deadpool co-starred with Wolverine inMarvel Studios' record-breakingDeadpool & Wolverine— one of the highest-grossing movies in superhero history.
AfterDeadpool & Wolverinehit theaters,Rob Liefeld revealed on hisRobservationspodcast that neither he nor his family were invited to the afterparty ofDeadpool& Wolverine’s New York premiere. Liefeld later explained his complaints toTHR, alleging that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige didn’t acknowledge him on the red carpet. Liefeld also attributes his decision to previous disputes with Marvel, including a petition to receive more prominent credit as Deadpool’s creator, which Liefeld alleged was shut down by Marvel.
Why Rob Liefeld Says He’s Done With Marvel
Rob Liefeld’s Relationship With Marvel Has Been Strained For A While
Just a couple of years after Rob Liefeld received acclaim for the creation of Deadpool and Cable, Liefeld departed Marvel Comics and joined forces with other comic book powerhouses such as Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane to create Image Comics. Liefeld had a brief collaboration with Marvel that didn’t bear the desired results, and he was later sued by Marvel for the similarities between an original character of his, Agent America, and Marvel’s Captain America. Rob Liefeld worked for Marvel and DC throughout the years, though he also came under fire for his criticism of both companies on social media.
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In February 2024,Rob Liefeldannounced onXthat he was producing his last work on Deadpool for Marvel, citing his age as the reason for his retirement. One year later, Liefeld now discloses his negative experiences with Marvel Studios. Apart from the aforementioned complaints,Liefeld also tellsTHR,“Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience,”and recalls his time collaborating with 20th Century Fox forDeadpoolandDeadpool 2’s release, saying,“They had me along for the ride, and I caused zero drama. I was happy to be there.”Liefeld’s parting with Marvel now seems definitive.
Rob Liefeld’s Deadpool and Cable sole creator credit has been contended throughout the years, as artists such as Fabian Nicieza, Bob Harras, and Louise Simonson reportedly contributed a great deal to Liefeld’s characters in their early days.
Rob Liefeld’s MCU Comments Reflect A Wider Superhero Movie Criticism
Rob Liefeld’s comments about Marvel, while personal in nature, do reflect some wider concerns when it comes to the matter of superhero movies. Marvel Studios has received criticism for not crediting comic book artists properly, as the creators of the original characters that Marvel movies and shows are based on only receive a“special thanks”line in each installment’s credits. As reported byThe Guardian,Marvel creators allegedly received a flat fee of $5000when their respective characters were used in live-action, plus an invitation to each movie’s premiere.
Indeed, even these invites appear to sometimes not be a given part of the process, as The Guardian also reports that sources have stated Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting weren’t initially included on the list for the premiere forCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, despite the movie being directly based on their comics, with Bucky Barnes actor Sebastian Stan instead coming to let them in after Brubaker text him to let him know about the matter. While the fee creators receive may have changed in the years since, Marvel’s on-screen credits to comic creators haven’t changed yet.
This matter isn’t a Marvel-exclusive one, though, as comic book creatorGraham Nolanresponded to Liefeld’s social media post by stating “That sucks, Rob. But welcome to the club. Chuck Dixon and I got no credit for BANE in The Dark Knight Rises either.” Nolan is credited with having designed and co-created the Batman villain back in 1992, with he and Dixon being the duo who created the character’s first comic appearance in Batman: Vengeance Of Bane, leading to his rise to prominence as one of DC’s most iconic comic antagonists and eventual adaptation into The Dark Knight movie series.
All in all, it appears part of Rob Liefeld’s expressed frustrations may be the wider picture of how comic book creators are credited for their work, withLiefeldlater commenting that “Post Deadpool/Wolverine premier Marvel offered me 3 different jobs. I turned them all down. Many of you equate doing work for Marvel as winning the lotto. I do comics for fun. My last issue of DTU is out next week.” The Deadpool Team Up series appears to be the last collaboration between Liefeld and Marvel.
Rob Liefeldalso stated: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out today. I appreciate you all so much. I will always believe that comic creators are special and deserve special treatment. It cost nothing to share a kind word, sadly, even that was beneath Marvel & Disney. My family and I deserved common decency. We are the dreamers that light the way. Maybe the situation improves for others from here forward.” With many superhero movies still on the horizon, the matter of how comic creators are factored into adaptations is sure to be a topic for some time to come.
Our Take On Rob Liefeld’s Marvel Relationship
Rob Liefeld’s Split With Marvel Was Years In The Making
Taking into account Rob Liefeld’s numerous disputes with Marvel throughout the years, his decision to leave Marvel isn’t too surprising. However,Liefeld’s description of hisDeadpool & Wolverinepremiere experience is new information, and neither Marvel nor Kevin Feige have addressed Liefeld’s allegations yet.Deadpool & Wolverineplayfully references Rob Liefeldin the scene where Wolverine and Deadpool team up to fight the Deadpool Corps, which was included in the movie’s first trailer as well.Deadpool & Wolverine’s Rob Liefeld easter egg pokes fun at the artist’s alleged inability to draw feet properly, with a storefront sign that reads,“Liefeld’s Just Feet.“Beyond that, the movie’s credit to Liefeld is minimal.
