An Important Piece Of Deadpool History Is Up For Sale
Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld is putting up some of his earliest sketches of the character for sale.
Rob Liefeld, co-creator of Marvel’s Deadpool, has opened his vault according to The Hollywood Reporter to sell pieces from his iconic character’s earliest days on the page. The sketches, which serve as preliminary thumbnails for Liefeld’s full-size pages, represent the artist’s first drawings of Merc with a Mouth in action. According to Liefeld, the design sheets used to pitch the character to Marvel are the only Deadpool images to precede the now for-sale sketches.
Liefeld used the sketches to mockup Deadpool’s debut pages in New Mutants #98. Since his initial 1990 appearance, Deadpool has stolen the hearts of comic fans everywhere. Inspired by characters like G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes and Marvel favorites Spider-Man and Wolverine, Liefeld set out to create a visually striking character with an entertaining personality.
Given Deadpool’s three decades of success, it is safe to say Liefeld achieved his goal.
Deadpool developed through the 90s, gaining his signature fourth wall-breaking schtick along the way. Today, he is one of the most recognizable characters in the Marvel catalog.
While the character maintained a healthy fanbase living in the world of comic books, the Merc With a Mouth found new bounty on the big screen. After years of deliberation, actor Ryan Reynolds finally suited up as Deadpool in the 2016 film, which sparked massive profit and a sequel two years later.
Deadpool’s film rights now live under the umbrella of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This opens new doors for the upcoming Deadpool 3, which is already racking up an impressive roster of characters to join the titular anti-hero.
While plot details for the film can only be speculated, the cast offers clues as to where the story may go. Deadpool 2 ended with Wade Wilson on a tear through time in a hilarious retcon of Ryan Reynolds blunders. After seeing how time travel affects the multiverse in the MCU, it seems Deadpool’s ancillary antics may have big consequences.
Ryan Reynolds is joined by Hugh Jackman, who will reprise his role as Wolverine after his alleged retirement from the character. Also rumored to join are Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror and Tom Hiddleston as Loki, both of whom have experience with the multiverse. As if that’s not enough, some say Deadpool may even encounter characters from Marvel films distributed by the former 20th Century Fox since the early 2000s.
This includes a version of the Fantastic Four, which starred Jessica Alba and, in a retroactively complicated fashion, Chris Evans.
As for Rob Liefeld, he hopes Deadpool 3 is a road trip movie. Perhaps through the multiverse?
In any case, Deadpool’s direct line to the MCU opens the character up to new fans and increased popularity. And that’s just fine with Liefeld. The artist hopes the surge in Deadpool’s fame opens the vaults of other comic art collectors around the world.
In his eyes, the original covers and pages he hasn’t seen on auction in decades can only stay behind closed doors for so long. They’re meant to trade hands and to be enjoyed. Thanks to Liefeld and the many artists who have made Deadpool what he is today, fans can expect to enjoy the sword-wielding swear machine for a long time to come.
