Deadpool Creator Says Marvel Cut X-Force Characters to Save Money
Marvel Studios has introduced a new version of X-Force in the second season of X-Men ’97, but not everyone is happy with the team’s lineup. One of the biggest reactions came from Rob Liefeld, the comic book creator best known for co-creating Deadpool and helping create the original X-Force. According to Liefeld, there may be a financial reason why several of his characters were left out of the animated series.
The discussion started after X-Men ’97 season 2 revealed Cable’s new X-Force team. Instead of following the original comic lineup, the show features Archangel, Psylocke, Sunspot, and Jubilee working alongside Cable. Many longtime fans quickly noticed that several classic members from the early 1990s comics were missing.
After seeing the changes, fans asked Liefeld for his opinion on social media. In response to one fan on X who said the original roster was better, Liefeld shared his own theory about why Marvel Studios went in a different direction.
“Yes, of course everyone has said that. But it’s their pick. I think it’s because they would be on the hook to me for even more money if they use more of my creations. My deals are expensive.”
His comments suggest that he believes Marvel may have decided not to include more of the characters he created because doing so would require paying him additional compensation. However, Liefeld did not provide any evidence that this was actually the reason behind the creative decision, and Marvel Studios has not responded to his claim.
The original X-Force lineup introduced by Liefeld in the comics looked very different from what viewers are seeing in X-Men ’97. Alongside Cable, the team originally included characters such as Boom-Boom, Cannonball, Shatterstar, Feral, and Warpath. Over the years, the team has gone through many different versions, with heroes like Domino, X-23, and even Deadpool joining at different points.
None of those characters appear in the current animated roster. Instead, the series has built a team that better fits the story it wants to tell in its second season.
The new season focuses on Apocalypse as he hunts the X-Men across multiple timelines. With the main team divided, other mutant groups like X-Force and X-Factor have much larger roles than before. That gave the writers an opportunity to build a new version of X-Force instead of simply recreating the comic book team.
Liefeld’s comments have sparked discussion among fans, with some agreeing that the original lineup should have been used, while others believe Marvel simply wanted to tell a different story. Since the studio has not commented publicly, there is no confirmation that licensing costs or creator payments played any role in the final roster.
Liefeld’s creations have appeared in Marvel projects before. Deadpool became one of Marvel’s biggest movie franchises, while X-Force briefly appeared in Deadpool 2 before most of the team was killed off during its first mission. Even though many of his characters remain popular with comic readers, Marvel has often taken different creative approaches when adapting them for television and film.
Do you agree with Rob Liefeld's theory about Marvel leaving out his X-Force characters?
According to Liefeld, his theory is only his own opinion, but it has once again started a conversation about how much influence creators have when their comic book characters are adapted for new projects. Whether his missing X-Force heroes return in future episodes remains to be seen, but for now, Marvel’s animated series is moving forward with its own version of the famous mutant team.
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