Marvel Promises Spider-Man/Deadpool As “The Best Idea Ever”

Deadpool and Spider-Man. They go together like French fries and maple syrup. No, seriously. They do.

That manic dynamic between Marvel’s Merc With A Mouth and Wallcralwer are essentially the narrative equivalent of fried potatoes and maple tree nectar, creating an experience that’s equally wild and unique. And hopefully that combo is to your tastes, as Deadpool and Spider-Man are teaming up in a new ongoing series, Spider-Man/Deadpool, this fall. Serving this five-star meal of Spider-Man and Deadpool antics are Master Chefs Joe Kelly and Ed McGuiness. The comics creating dup first cut their teeth on Deadpool nearly twenty years ago, creating one of the most definitive runs in the character’s history.

And now, they’re back for a second course in the all-new Marvel universe. Below, Kelly and series editors Nick Lowe and Jordan White whet readers’ appetites by revealing why Spider-Man and Deadpool make for a unique superhero duo, why Spider-Man actually hates Deadpool, and what their premier adventure will entail. And for dessert, ComicBook.com has Kelly’s thoughts on the upcoming Deadpool movie and interior pages from Spider-Man/Deadpool #1.

So How did this unconventional idea for a team-up come about? A chimichanga-induced dream?

Nick: First, Spidey and Deadpool are probably the two most popular living characters (RIP WOLVIE!) at Marvel, so partly it was a no-brainer. But the inspiration came from the early days when I came into the Spidey office. Jordan did an Annual starring the two and talked about the clamour for a Spidey/Deadpool comic and I thought HELL, WHY NOT! But it needed to be the right creative team…

Jordan: Yeah—that annual was a blast. We got a TON of feedback on it, and I was asked if Marvel would be willing to do a Spidey/Deadpool team-up ongoing, and I told them of course we would! Much like Deadpool, we’ll go anywhere the money is. In all seriousness, I told people if they wanted to see that book they would need to let Marvel know they’d be willing to buy it…and man oh man, did they write in! I get fewer emails from artists drawing books for me than I got about this idea.

Joe Kelly is obviously no stranger to Deadpool, Spider-Man, and even Deadpool/Spider-Man teamups. But, what new territory is Joe looking to explore with each character, and their unique dynamic? What will longtime Deadpool & Spidey-by Kelly readers find unique about this series?

Nick: Joe is one of the best writers in comics period, but he does so much animation work that he no longer writes much. I knew it would take a hell of a project to drag him back in and this totally did it. The best part of the dynamic is that Deadpool is a huge Spider-Man fan, but Spider-Man hates Deadpool. That and their inability to shut their mouths made this the best idea ever. If only we could find the right artist.

Jordan: Hmmmm…

Joe and series artist Ed McGuinness also share a long history with Deadpool. How were you able to re-team this Deadpool duo? Were they a package deal, or did you have to get Ed once Joe was on board?

Nick: Having Joe definitely helped Ed, but Ed loves both characters so it was pretty much the easiest conversation I’ve had in a while.

Jordan:It was actually all Ed’s idea. Sort of. I was going to Ed to talk to him at New York Comiccon about a project that didn’t work out (unfortunately) and when I did, Ed said “Aw, that’s too bad…I was hoping you wanted me to do more Deadpool.” We got to talking about that idea, and Ed said he would LOVE to work with Joe again on the ol’ M w/the M. Coincidentally, Joe was at the show as well…so I moseyed over to him to see how he felt about the idea. There was a lot of scheduling we had to work out, though…and by the time our dreams had all come true, it had changed magically into this book.

Joe, what ultimately convinced you to join the project?

Joe: I love Spider-Man. He was one of my favorite characters growing up. Then obviously Deadpool was a cornerstone of my career. And getting to work with Ed McGuinnes again was the trifecta. So the three of those things together just made for the right project.

It made it a really special opportunity. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun as hell. And having some distance from that character has allowed me to approach Deadpool as a different writer.

Even though both characters are masters in quips and jokes, why can’t Spider-Man stand Deadpool? What is it about the character that chafes Spider-Man so much? And for that matter, why does Deadpool want to team with Spidey so badly?
Nick: Deadpool has great power and takes absolutely no responsibility. So Spider-Man will do just about anything to stay away from the mouthy-merc. What does Deadpool want out of Spider-Man? And how does he convince Spidey to go along? You’ll have to read the book, but Joe has a few doozies up his sleeve!

Jordan: Also, Deadpool smells terrible. I’m not kidding.

Joe, why did you want to team Spider-Man and Deadpool together? What will both characters bring to the table?

Both characters have a lot similarities and a lot of overlap, so the trick is finding a balance between those guys, and finding what makes them really distinct. For me, there are elements of Deadpool that never go away. No matter what he tries to do, the universe finds a way of screwing him over for trying to do the right thing. He’s constitutionally incline dto do the wrong thing.

But the universe craps on Spider-Man a lot, too. He just managed to get his act together a little better. They have a very strange relationship. They have a love/hate relationship, but one in one direction. Spider-Man does not really like Deadpool, but Deadpool really loves Spider-Man. So it makes for a very funny dynamic.

Will this series see Spider-Man in his All New, All Different direction a global industialist and adventurer? If so, how will that change the dynamic between him and Deadpool? Also, can readers expect a Miles Morales and Deadpool team-up?

Nick: This is 100% within continuity. This is a globe-trotting Spider-Man. You’ll see Parker Industries, the supporting cast and a lot of the Marvel U as guest-stars. A certain Ultimate character might very well show up!

And on the other side of the coin, will this series explore Deadpool’s recent death and resurrection? How will the “Death of Deapool” linger over this team-up with Spider-Man, if at all?

Nick: This will also be lock-step with the stuff going on in Deadpool, right Jordan?

Jordan: Yep, this is definitely going to be tying in with the Deadpool status quo coming back. Oh, man—I should probably tell Gerry Duggan we’re doing this book.

Joe, what’s it like returning to Deadpool after all these years? Does it feel different now that he’s grown so much as a character and pop culture icon?

Joe: In the beginning, nobody expected Deadpool to last six issues. So we were doing whatever the hell we wanted, and it was great. We just had fun and did what we wanted. But it’s a bit different now because there’s a different kind of awareness towards the character, but I’m still just doing what I want. We’ll whether or not they print it, but I’m trying.

What type of tone are you trying to strike with this title? Will it mostly be humorous?

Nick: It’s hilarious until the floor drops out and then it’ll have you crying. And Joe and Ed are going to put both characters through the wringer. You will not guess where it’s going!

Jordan: I mean…I can guess, but I was in on the planning, so that’s a bit unfair. But he’s right—you can’t guess!

Joe, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Deadpool movie starring Ryan Reynolds?

Joe: I’m going to be a fan like everybody else. I did have a meeting with the movie people a long time ago, before it was officially a movie. But I’m excited. When they announced Ajax, I thought itwas really cool. I have a feeling that it’s going to be the origin story I created, so we’ll see what happens.

What do you hope to see when the film comes out?

I just want it to be a fun movie. I want them to deliver on the promise of what the character can be. I hop they bring what the fans want, which is a balls-out adventure, so Deadpool gets his due. He’s a really great character. I want a fearless, fun, ass-kicking movie.

Spider-Man/Deadpool #1 hits comic shops this fall. Are you excited to see the two mouthy Marvel characters unite? Let us know in the comments!