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Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld has hit out at Kevin Feige weeks after turning his back on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), stating: “He’s spent.”
Liefeld, whose working relationship with the comic book publishers has lasted more than 30 years, recently expressed disappointment over his alleged treatment at the premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine.
Now, he has made no secret of his belief that MCU president Kevin Feige should step down after a string of box office failures, including this month’s Captain America: Brave New World, which has seen a staggering drop in box office sales in its second week.
According to Forbes, the film, which stars Anthony Mackie playing the superhero formerly played by Chris Evans, had the third-most significant drop in the film series behind The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Liefeld shared the figures, writing on X/Twitter: “Get Feige off the mound. He’s spent.”
Further hitting out at the box office performance of recent Marvel films, Liefeld added: “MCU is on an extended downside. This is beyond a trend, it’s become the norm.
“If this was sports, Feige would be removed. Marvel brand is like Dodgers, Lakers, Yankees, Celtics, coaches that win championships are removed a year later when the results are disappointing.”
He added in a follow-up post: “Eight movies crash over the last three years. Don’t we want better movies? You get the curiosity crowd then plunge.”
The once-unstoppable MCU reached dizzying heights in 2019 when Avengers: Endgame became the highest grossing film of all time. It was overtaken by previous title holder Avatar when the film was re-released in China in 2021.
Since then, there have been several attempts to introduce new characters and create fresh franchises, with spin-off TV shows and new movies. However, these have largely failed to reach previous heights both critically and commercially.
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Liefeld’s harsh words against the Disney-owned studio arrive after he accused Feige and other Disney bosses of ignoring him at the premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine in July 2024.
Speaking on his podcast Robservations, Liefeld claimed that he wasn’t invited to the afterparty, which he said “was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me”.
He continued: “At some point, you go, ‘I’ve received the message, and the message is clear.’”
Liefeld, who receives large revenue streams for the character he created in 1991, revealed that, one month before the film’s release, he requested more involvement with the marketing and promotion, but was ultimately denied.
Disney and Marvel declined to comment.
