Rob Liefeld Explains Why Deadpool Is Not Deathstroke

Even since Ben Affleck shared test footage of Deathstroke, fans have been buzzing about it. The tease was wholly unexpected and left long-time DC diehards stunned. However, there were some Marvel fanatics who scoffed at the baddie’s inclusion and believed the character couldn’t compete with the industry’s most famous mercenary, Deadpool. Fan wars were quick to follow as both sides argued over the characters’ similarities. And, now, the co-creator of Deadpool has explained exactly how his character differs from DC’s villain.

Rob Liefeld recently appeared on Nerdy Pop, a Youtube channel dedicated to geek culture. The creator discussed Deathstroke’s upcoming role in the DCEU and gushed over the character, saying, “I love Deathstroke. I’ve loved Deathstroke my entire comic book collecting career. He’s a great character. He deserves to be loved on his own merits.”

Of course, Rob’s last line hits back at those readers who confuse Deathstroke and Deadpool. The characters share many things in common, prompting some fans to bash one of the mercenaries to champion the other’s superiority. But, according to Rob, there’s no need for such fighting. In his mind, the characters are totally different, so he told fans all the ways Deadpool is not Deathstroke in this video.

To start, Rob compares the characters’ sizes and stresses that Deadpool’s lithe frame is better suited for martial arts compared to Deathstroke. The creator goes on to compare other elements of the characters’ suits, pointing out Deathstroke’s chainmail accessories and the coloring of the two villains.

“It might not be as obvious as it seems to me,” Rob says, “but Deathstroke is blue and orange.” The creator compares the character’s suits, emphasizing their differences. For instance, Rob points out Deathstroke sports wider gloves and boots in comparison to Deadpool’s skin-tight ensemble. And, of course, Rob can’t help but point out the age difference of the characters as Deathstroke is notably older than his Marvel counterpart.

However, not all fans are happy about Rob’s comments. After all, comic book readers have long understood Deadpool to be a clever parody of Deathstroke that just so happened to become successful.

Already a fan of Deathstroke, Rob pitched his design for Deadpool back in the early 90s to co-creator, Fabian Nicieza. However, his partner noticed Deadpool was essentially a new take on DC’s Deathstroke. But, rather than ditching the character entirely, the duo focused on the characters’ similarities. For instance, they took note of Slade Wilson (Deathstroke’s real name) and decided to call Deadpool ‘Wade Wilson.’ Adept with the same hi-tech weapons, the two characters seemed to intentionally mirror one another through their histories and personalities differed greatly.

Of course, these characters aren’t the only copycats running around the comic book industry. Marvel and DC Comics have a history of borrowing ideas from each other as both companies respectively host heroes such as Namor/Aquaman, Black Cat/Catwoman, and Hawkeye/Green Arrow.

[H/T] Nerdy Pop