Yesterday evening, we shared the news that Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld has severed ties with Marvel. The comic book writer and artist expressed unhappiness with what he perceived as various slights on the company's part, including the fact he and his family weren't invited to the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere's afterparty.
Liefeld also took issue with not receiving a prominent "Created by" credit during the threequel's opening credits and has now followed up with a series of scathing comments on X.
Hitting back at a Marvel insider who, in The Hollywood Reporter's article, pointed out Liefeld's supposed attempts to diminish Fabian Nicieza's role in Deadpool's creation, Liefeld said, "Not so much as a single handshake. Classless. Wow. Disney’s response is pathetic. Speechless...get help and soon. The Kirby Estate sued Marvel. The Ditko Estate sued Marvel. This is not a particular strength for them."
As for his desire to be featured more prominently in Deadpool & Wolverine's credits, Liefeld explained, "Yes, comic book creators should not have to fight to be seen. Yes our credits should go at the start of the film, like Siegel & Shuster [in Superman: The Movie], as opposed to buried in the mid crawl after credits. This is not a fresh position for me."
He also shared a "receipt" in the form of a 2015 email. In that, he reaches out to 20th Century Fox to request the studio credit him and Nicieza for their role in the Merc with the Mouth's creation ahead of Deadpool's 2016 release.
"Thank you to everyone who has reached out today. I appreciate you all so much," Liefeld later wrote. "I will always believe that comic creators are special and deserve special treatment. It cost nothing to share a kind word, sadly, even that was beneath Marvel & Disney."
"My family and I deserved common decency. We are the dreamers that light the way. Maybe the situation improves for others from here forward."
While Liefeld has received support from many fans, others have pointed out that he's paid and properly credited for his role in bringing Deadpool to life on screen. They lack sympathy for him not receiving the "special treatment" he outlined yesterday, with even THR's article questioning many of the comic book creator's grievances.
Regardless, his social media activity prompted fired X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo to weigh in on what he similarly deems Marvel Studios' "unethical and plainly inhuman business tactics."