Deadpool & Wolverine may be one of the most successful films of 2024, but controversy surrounds it.
Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld abruptly ended his 30-year relationship with Marvel after he and his family were not invited to Disney’s afterparty following the film’s premiere in July 2024.
However, this wasn’t his only grievance. Liefeld also took issue with Marvel over the placement of creator credits in the movie and what he perceived as a lack of respect from the studio’s chief, Kevin Feige.
Amid mounting tensions, Liefeld ultimately reached his breaking point, severing ties with Marvel.
The Snub That Ignited the Split
The New York premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine was the final straw for Liefeld, who co-created Deadpool with Fabian Nicieza in 1991.
Although Liefeld attended the screening at Lincoln Center in Manhattan and posed for photos on the red carpet with the creative team of the first MCU Deadpool movie, he later claimed the images were deleted before they could be posted publicly.
This made him feel ignored by Disney bosses, including Feige.
“It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat [me],” he said on the latest episode of his podcast, Robservations.
He also revealed that his representatives tried to get his family into the party, but the studio’s publicity team turned them away.
“Disney is the deciding factor here. To have them say, ‘You and your family are not welcome here. We tolerated you for the screening.’ At that point, I knew in my heart I couldn’t go forward,” he continued. “At some point, you go, ‘I’ve received the message, and the message is clear.’”
Rob Liefeld Requested for More Recognition
In addition, Liefeld claimed he requested more recognition in Deadpool & Wolverine, considering his foundational role in the creation of Deadpool, but his request just fell on deaf ears.
A month before the film’s release, he wished to be more involved in marketing and promotion and receive a unique credit that differed from what was given to comic book creators at the end of the movie.
This desire arose from Marvel’s decision to grant Roy Thomas co-creator status for Wolverine, alongside Len Wein and John Romita, Sr, yet Marvel did not comply.
“Marvel’s treatment of creators has never been their strength,” he continued. “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 added that his response wasn’t received the way he expected, prompting him to tweet, “My reps were screamed at today. ‘We are NOT Fox!’ Tell me about it. Also hung up on.”
Rob Liefeld Compared 20th Century Fox to Marvel Studios
It is true that Marvel Studios was not 20th Century Fox, as Liefeld emphasized that Fox never sidelined him during the first two Deadpool films before Disney acquired the rights to the franchise.
“I forgive you, whoever made that decision to say, ‘Hey, you can come to the movie. [But] we’re not going to talk to you,'” Liefeld said. “‘We’re going to treat you much worse than 20th Century Fox could ever imagine.’ Maybe you should work on doing better for the next guy.”
Nonetheless, a source familiar with the situation asserted (via Variety) that Liefeld was invited to the set in London and was supported in hosting a series of Deadpool & Wolverine screenings following the premiere.
As of this writing, Disney and Marvel Studios have not commented on the issue.