Rob Liefeld

The recent news of Disney acquiring 21st Century Fox is certainly a top priority for a lot of genre fans lately.  Of particular concern are the properties at Fox that may not, shall we say, mesh well with the more “family friendly” image that Disney has worked to establish over the years.

Fox has had quite a bit of success recently with R-rated super-hero films, with recent releases ‘Logan’ and ‘Deadpoool’ showing that audiences clearly exist in this arena.  Fears were partially assuaged when Disney CEO Bob Iger specifically referenced the ‘Deadpool’ film in some of his first public post-merger comments.  In a recent interview, Deadpool comic creator Rob Liefeld was asked about his thoughts on the matter.  Liefeld had this to say:

“[Disney CEO] Bob Iger didn’t deliver this unprecedented level of historic success for Disney by accident. This man gets it. He understands the culture and more importantly he understands the concerns of the fans. Addressing the Deadpool issue right out of the gate gets high marks and in all honesty, why would they mess with the success that Ryan Reynolds has achieved as Deadpool? The next person I encounter that tells me they want a neutered version of Ryan’s Deadpool will be the first person to express that to me. So smart of Iger to lay that foundation of trust and I for one am so appreciative. It definitely alleviated a concerned Deadpool base.

 

“I can’t wait to see how Deadpool will eventually be inserted into the greater Marvel Pantheon. I’m sure Bob Iger and Kevin Feige have some great tricks up their sleeves. Exciting times!”

As of this writing, plans remain in place to release the ‘Deadpool’ sequel film next Summer – time will tell if Disney’s presence will adjust the release date or overall tone of the film.

‘Untitled Deadpool Sequel’ is scheduled for release in American cinemas on June 1, 2018.