Backstage tensions have escalated into open war — the creator of Deadpool and Wolverine is cutting all ties with Marvel for deeply personal reasons.
After three decades with Marvel, comic book artist and creator Rob Liefeld ended his collaboration openly addressing the challenges he faced. During a 90-minute episode of his podcast Robservations, and in a follow-up interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Liefeld went into detail about a series of incidents that took place during the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere that he perceived as disrespectful.
According to Liefeld, he learned that he and his family were not invited to the film's afterparty, which was never the case during the release of the first two movies under 20th Century Fox. He also said that he felt slighted by higher-ups at Disney as well as Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige. Liefeld claims that Feige never once spoke to him at the premiere, despite standing near each other. Liefeld said that the behavior was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat him.
Deadpool & Wolverine was a huge box office hit, earning over $1.33 billion and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film in the U.S. In the movie, Deadpool tries to join the Avengers after saving his girlfriend with time travel but gets rejected. Later, the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help protect the multiverse, teaming him up with a version of Wolverine.
