Deadpool co-creator reveals a Deadpool cartoon could still be possible

Deadpool’s co-creator Rob Liefeld opened up about the possibility of a Deadpool cartoon still happening. Despite the roadblocks, it still may happen.

The road to getting a Deadpool cartoon has been a long one. Maybe not so much a long, treacherous journey all the way through — but one that had a lot of action in the beginning, and then took a wrong turn going absolutely nowhere.

In May 2017, there were hopes (and plans) that FXX would get a Deadpool cartoon run by Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen Glover. Months later, by March 2018, the cartoon was effectively canceled with little information as to why. It was reported that there were creative differences, and the tension between Donald Glover and the others was made apparent when Glover released a very passive-aggressive mock script on Twitter showing his frustration. Given the script, it was clear to see that Glover was a great choice to have on hand for the cartoon, but it’s now just an unfortunate loss.

Even though the Glover cartoon was canceled, it doesn’t mean Deadpool can’t have a life as a cartoon anyone. And now, there’s a bit of reassurance for fans who thought getting a Deadpool animated series would be impossible.

Rob Liefeld, Deadpool’s co-creator, was given some good news about the possibility of there still being a cartoon. Talking to Nerdist News, Liefeld revealed how he felt about the first series’ cancellation and the bit of hope he was given, saying:

"When that went south [the Glover cancellation], that was very unfortunate for all. But I will not say who, but a Marvel executive did say: ‘Don’t worry Robert, we’re going to give you a Deadpool cartoon. It’s still going to happen.’"

At this point, since there’s no solid confirmation that an animated series is in development, we can just say this is wishful thinking on his and Marvel’s part. In one way, it’s certainly good news for Deadpool fans to know that Marvel doesn’t want to axe an animated series. But at the same time, there’s still no who, what, when, where, or why about the creation of the cartoon. It could come in months or even years at this rate.

And we can’t forget that the Fox-Disney merger just complicates things even more. So far, the merger has mostly drawn our attention to characters on the big screen — as many of us are wondering how Marvel Studios could usher Fox’s characters into the MCU. But if those characters are to appear in any other way — like, say, a TV show — then it’s still a matter of Fox and Disney’s rights.

Given Disney is a family-oriented brand, it may mean a Deadpool cartoon could get a serious downgrade from his typical R-rated antics. Even if it were to appear on the Disney+ streaming service, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s out of the woods when it comes to abiding by those family-friendly rules. And if that’s the case, it begs the question if a Deadpool cartoon would even be appropriate to have in the first place.

Sure, some kids may like Deadpool just because he’s cool (despite knowing how raunchy he can get), but a toned-down character would not serve Wade Wilson (and his creators) justice at all. If that’s the case, they’d be better off choosing a totally different superhero for a cartoon altogether.

Until then, we still have to worry about the fate of Deadpool 3. If you think the cartoon could be in jeopardy under Disney’s watch, who knows how they’ll approach trying to make another Deadpool movie?