Deadpool Creator and Marvel Legend Rob Liefeld Hangs Up His Katanas, Publishes One Last Issue of Merc With a Mouth Before Calling It Quits
- Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld is bidding farewell to Marvel and the character that defined much of his career.
- Liefeld will be launching one last Deadpool comic series before leaving Marvel.
- Liefeld reacted to the inside joke of his difficulty in drawing feet in the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' movie.
Deadpool has been a popular character in Marvel Comics for over three decades now. Wade Wilson didn’t take much time to become readers’ favorite with his irreverent humor and unpredictable nature. And on top of that, Deadpool movies played their part to take its popularity to another level.
The creator of this iconic character is Rob Liefeld. The writer-artist has given a new meaning to superhero or anti-hero in this case. But this time, Liefeld is finally bidding goodbye to his most popular creation and Marvel as well with his upcoming Deadpool issue.
From New Mutants to Deadpool’s Final Issue
Rob Liefeld entered the comic book scene in the late ’80s and got associated with Marvel Comics. He worked on The New Mutants comic and co-created Cable and Deadpool along with Louise Simonson and Fabian Nicieza, respectively. These two characters added more to Marvel’s gritty and bloodier side.
Other than Marvel, Liefeld also co-founded Image Comics in 1992, which was aimed at giving more control to creators over their work. But still, Deadpool is that creation that kept him in mainstream popularity, especially through Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal in the films now.
However, 56-year-old Liefeld has finally decided to resign from Deadpool and Marvel as well. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained,
About 10 years ago, I really felt like I was going to do this till I was 70. But the eyes and the hands, and the aches and the pains – they have a different timetable, I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older. The last year’s worth of work was the hardest to produce.
Liefeld recently reminded on X about his departure and the release of his upcoming comic series Deadpool Team-Up. However, although he is leaving Marvel, he has said that he will continue to make comics for about 5 more years.
The upcoming Deadpool Team-Up series will be a wild ride, as readers expect from Deadpool. It will be launched on August 28, 2024, and will have 5 issues in total. According to Marvel.com, Deadpool will team up with Ral Dorn the Dragon Lord to face a giant red dragon, and they will be eventually joined by Wolverine, Hulk, Ghost-Spider, Major X, and Crystar.
Rob Liefeld’s Inside Joke On Deadpool & Wolverine
Although Liefeld’s drawing style has been loved by many, it has also been criticized over the years. His supposed difficulty in drawing feet has become quite popular among the readers and now has become even an internet joke. Deadpool & Wolverine played along with this inside joke in the movie.
In the movie, when Deadpool and Wolverine come out to face Deadpool Corps, there is a shoe repair shop called “Liefeld’s Just Feet” shown in the background. It is an acknowledgment of the running joke as well as a homage to the creator. When asked about his reaction to the joke, Liefeld told The Hollywood Reporter,
I was laughing hysterically when the Marvel business affairs people called me. They were laughing too.
This funny dig at the creator perfectly suits the fourth-wall-breaking nature of the character. In the movie, Deadpool has not spared criticizing 20th Century Fox, DC, and even Marvel for its recent lukewarm performance since Endgame. So this was something way more subtle than that.
Besides Deadpool and Cable, Liefeld has also co-created Domino and Shatterstar and has worked with Valiant and DC as well. With his departure from Marvel, it will be a task to carry forward the legacy of the character he built.
Deadpool & Wolverine is running in theaters.
