Rob Liefeld Severing Ties With Marvel After Years of Disputes

New York, NY – Comic book artist Rob Liefeld, the creator of famed Marvel characters Deadpool and Cable, announced he is ending his relationship with the company after over 30 years. Liefeld detailed his decision during a 90-minute episode of his podcast, ‘Robservations,’ and in a follow-up interview with The Hollywood Reporter, citing a series of perceived slights at the July premiere of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’

According to Liefeld, he and his family were not invited to the afterparty, a tradition he had come to expect. He also felt snubbed by Disney executives, including Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, who he claims ignored him on the red carpet.

“It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me,” Liefeld stated on his podcast about the exclusion from the afterparty. He also alleged that professional photos he took with the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ creative team were later deleted, though other photos featuring Liefeld alone and with his family were made public by Disney.

Liefeld claimed these incidents followed a series of grievances dating back to early 2023, when Marvel made a controversial decision to change the credits on the character of Wolverine, which was created decades before Liefeld’s involvement in comics. He is close to Christine Valada, the widow of the late Wolverine co-creator Len Wein, who was angered by the change.

In June 2024, Liefeld sent an email to Marvel requesting special credit on ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and inquiring about access to future movie premieres and promotional opportunities. He did not request additional money as he already has a highly lucrative deal with the company. Liefeld cited the prominent credit given to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for creating Superman as an example of how comic creators should be acknowledged.

He wrote, “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.”

Liefeld did not receive a response to his email and was told by his agents that the message was not received well internally. The following day, he tweeted about the experience, stating that his agents were “screamed at” and hung up on. Liefeld believes these tensions contributed to his exclusion from the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ afterparty.

Liefeld, who rose to fame in the early 1990s with a group of millionaire comic creators, has at times had a contentious relationship with fellow comic creators. His detractors point to his tendency to minimize the contributions of others, as seen in his 2016 comments regarding Fabian Nicieza, who co-created Deadpool’s first appearance. Liefeld has, however, claimed to have advocated for Nicieza to receive co-creator credit on the first two ‘Deadpool’ films, and credits writer Joe Kelly with introducing Deadpool’s signature fourth-wall breaking.

While claims of animosity have been made, Liefeld has publicly expressed appreciation for Deadpool’s star, Ryan Reynolds, for helping elevate the character to global stardom. He was also involved in test screenings for ‘Deadpool’ and ‘Deadpool 2’ which were produced by 20th Century Fox.

However, Liefeld stated on his podcast that his experiences at the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ premiere felt different from his prior interactions with Marvel. He voiced a critical opinion of Feige, stating, “Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience,”

When asked about his feelings towards Feige, Liefeld told The Hollywood Reporter, “Do I think he can improve his relationship with comic creators? Yes.”

Liefeld concluded the podcast with a message of vulnerability, revealing the sadness he felt over the situation. He acknowledged that “You can’t always share your hits. Sometimes you have to share your misses,” and appreciated the support from fans who resonated with his honesty.