Rob Liefeld, co-creator of Deadpool, has officially severed ties with Marvel, and he’s not holding back about why. In a recent episode of his Robservations podcast, Liefeld shared that his experience with Marvel Studios, particularly under Kevin Feige’s leadership, left him feeling disrespected and sidelined.
Liefeld describes the breaking point as a series of dismissals that culminated at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, where he and his family were not invited to the afterparty. But his frustrations started long before that.
Liefeld’s issues with Marvel began in early 2023 when “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 sent an email to Marvel asking for special credit on Deadpool & Wolverine. He didn’t request any money, just acknowledgment and access to events.
In that email, he expressed his frustration with how Marvel treats creators: “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….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 a response.
Fast forward to the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, where things took a more personal turn. “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.
“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.”
On X, he wrote: “Not so much as a single handshake. Classless.” And on Robservations, he put it bluntly: “Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience.”
Liefeld did acknowledge that Marvel flew him out to London for a set visit during the film’s production, but he said he “began to feel unwelcome” and chose not to elaborate further.
When asked if Feige could improve his relationship with comic creators, he responded simply: “Do I think [Feige] can improve his relationship with comic creators? Yes.”
Liefeld’s last Marvel Comics project, Deadpool Team-Up #5, drops on February 12, marking the end of his work with the company. Reflecting on the experience, he admitted:
“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.”
With Liefeld stepping away from Marvel he’s making sure people know exactly why.
Via: THR
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