Rob Liefeld, the legendary comic book artist and creator of Deadpool, has officially severed ties with Marvel, and he’s not holding back about why. After over three decades of contributing to Marvel’s success, Liefeld has walked away.
Liefeld did not take this decision lightly and cited a series of frustrating experiences to explain his actions. The writer believes Marvel treated him with blatant disrespect.
Rob Liefeld Calls Out Kevin Feige For Not Treating Comicbook Creators Well
On his podcast, Rob Liefeld revealed that he and his family were not invited to the afterparty of the film’s premiere. To make matters worse, he claims Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige completely ignored him on the red carpet. For Liefeld, this was the final straw in an already rocky relationship with Marvel.
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Liefeld has had a complicated history with the company. His initial rise to fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s came from his work on New Mutants and X-Force. However, his relationship with Marvel soured over the years due to creative disputes and a battle over proper credit for his work.
He briefly left Marvel to co-found Image Comics, where he gained further success but also faced legal troubles. This included a lawsuit from Marvel for the similarities between his character Agent America and Captain America. In early 2024, Liefeld announced that he was finishing his last Deadpool project for Marvel, citing age as the reason.
However, his recent statements suggest a deeper reason: he feels unappreciated and disrespected. “Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience,” Liefeld told The Hollywood Reporter. He compared this with his previous experiences with 20th Century Fox. “They had me along for the ride, and I caused zero drama. I was happy to be there.”
Rob Liefeld Claims He Turned Down Three Job Offers From Marvel After ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’
Rob Liefeld’s experience is not an isolated incident. Marvel, in particular, has faced backlash for how it credits (or fails to credit) the writers and artists responsible for the characters that fuel its billion-dollar film franchise. Moreover, Liefeld has made it clear that he won’t be working with Marvel again.
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The writer revealed that the studios offered him three new jobs after the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ premiere controversy. “Post Deadpool/Wolverine premiere, Marvel offered me 3 different jobs. I turned them all down,” he shared. “Many of you equate doing work for Marvel as winning the lotto. I do comics for fun. My last issue of DTU is out next week.”
With superhero films continuing to dominate Hollywood, the conversation about how comic book creators are treated isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything, Liefeld’s outspoken departure might encourage more creators to demand the recognition they deserve.
