Following Deadpool and Wolverine's treatment, Deadpool's creator reveals he has severed ties with Marvel: "It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me."

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Rob Liefeld, the creator of Deadpool, has announced that he is leaving Marvel following an awkward moment at the Deadpool & Wolverine New York premiere. Although Rob Liefeld started his career in the late 1980s with work for Marvel and DC, his contributions to X-Force and New Mutants were what really made him famous. Above all, Rob Liefeld’s most celebrated achievement as a Marvel artist has been the creation of Deadpool. Wade Wilson, often known as Deadpool, was first introduced in the 1990s’ New Mutants and gained popularity over time with the help of Rob Liefeld’s artwork and Fabian Nicieza’s writing. Deadpool costarred with Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ record-breaking Deadpool & Wolverine, one of the highest-grossing superhero films ever made, thirty-four years after his comic book debut. Rob Liefeld disclosed on his Robservations podcast that he and his family were not invited to the after-party of Deadpool & Wolverine’s New York premiere, after the film’s release. Later, Liefeld told THR about his grievances, claiming that Kevin Feige, the CEO of Marvel Studios, failed to recognize him on the red carpet. In addition, Liefeld cites past conflicts with Marvel, such as a plea to be given greater recognition as Deadpool’s creator that he said was rejected by the studio.

Rob Liefeld left Marvel Comics and founded Image Comics with other comic book titans including Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane, just a few years after Liefeld’s invention of Deadpool and Cable won him praise. After a brief partnership with Marvel that didn’t work out, Liefeld was sued by the studio for the similarities between his own character, Agent America, and Captain America. Over the years, Rob Liefeld worked for both Marvel and DC, but he also faced backlash for his social media criticism of both businesses. Rob Liefeld said on X in February 2024 that he was creating his final Deadpool project for Marvel, claiming his advanced age as the cause of his retirement. Liefeld now talks about his bad experiences with Marvel Studios a year later. Liefeld tells THR that in addition to the previously noted grievances, “Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well.” They took me along for the trip, and I caused zero trouble,” he says, recalling his time working with 20th Century Fox on the release of Deadpool and Deadpool 2. I was glad to be present. It now appears like Liefeld’s departure from Marvel is final. Since the original creators of the characters that Marvel films and television series are based on only receive a “special thanks” line in each installment’s credits, Marvel Studios has come under fire for failing to properly acknowledge comic book artists. According to The Guardian, Marvel authors supposedly received an invitation to the premiere of each film as well as a fixed pay of $5,000 when their characters were featured in live-action. Marvel’s on-screen credits to comic creators haven’t altered, despite the fact that this charge may have varied over time. Rob Liefeld’s decision to depart Marvel isn’t shocking given the many arguments he’s had with the studio over the years. But Liefeld’s account of his Deadpool & Wolverine premiere experience is brand-new, and neither Kevin Feige nor Marvel have yet to respond to Liefeld’s claims. In the scene where Wolverine and Deadpool link up to battle the Deadpool Corps, which was also included in the first teaser for the film, Deadpool & Wolverine make lighthearted reference to Rob Liefeld. The Rob Liefeld easter egg from Deadpool & Wolverine makes light of the artist’s purported incapacity to draw feet accurately by including a storefront sign that says, “Liefeld’s Just Feet.” Other from that, Liefeld receives almost little credit for the film.