Marvel loses key Deadpool figure over alleged mistreatment

Rob Liefeld, the legendary creator of Deadpool, has officially severed ties with Marvel after feeling sidelined at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere.

The comic book artist, who has worked with Marvel for over 30 years, was deeply disappointed by what he described as disrespectful treatment at the July 2024 event.

Liefeld claims that despite being the mind behind Deadpool, he was ignored by Disney executives, including Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. To make matters worse, he and his family were not invited to the Deadpool & Wolverine afterparty.

Speaking on his podcast Robservations, Rob Liefeld said, “It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me. At some point, you go, ‘I’ve received the message, and the message is clear.’”

Read More: Ryan Reynolds accused of bullying Justin Baldoni using ‘Deadpool 3’ character

A month before the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, Rob Liefeld had requested more involvement in the film’s marketing and asked for a special credit recognizing his role in creating Deadpool.

He pointed out that Marvel had given co-creator status to Roy Thomas for Wolverine, and he felt he deserved similar recognition.

Expressing his frustration, Liefeld stated, “Without the worlds, the characters, and the concepts that we create – in this case, the world of Deadpool – there are no films to shoot. No blockbusters to distribute.”

However, his request was not well received. He later tweeted, “My reps were screamed at today. ‘We are NOT Fox!’ Tell me about it. Also hung up on.”

Liefeld has long supported Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, previously saying that he believes Reynolds should have full creative control over the franchise.

With Deadpool & Wolverine marking the first Deadpool movie under Disney’s ownership, Liefeld’s departure signals a major shift in the franchise’s future.

Earlier, Hollywood actor-director Justin Baldoni accused actor Ryan Reynolds of bullying and mocking him using a ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ character.

The ‘It Ends With Us’ director and male lead amended his lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband and the New York Times to add new allegations against them, according to US media outlets.

In his amended lawsuit, Justin Baldoni alleged that the Ryan Reynolds’ Nicepool character in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ was made to mock and bully him.

“Reynolds portrayed Nicepool as a vicious caricature of a ‘woke’ feminist before concluding the character’s arc with his violent shooting death at the hands of ‘Ladypool,’ a character voiced by Blake Lively,” the amended lawsuit stated.