Following the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, Wolverine’s co-creator has voiced his opinion on the Marvel movie’s credits after years of debate over the character’s origins.
Roy Thomas became Marvel‘s editor-in-chief in 1972, the first person to take up the mantle after Stan Lee. Across the comics, Thomas was known for co-creating the likes of Vision, Carol Danvers, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist.
But over the years, he also publicly lobbied for co-creator status over the character of Wolverine. Until Deadpool & Wolverine, Thomas has not been credited in any X-Men movies or the like as a co-creator of the Hugh Jackman character.
Now, the new Marvel movie does include Thomas’ name, and specifies him as “co-creator”. However, this has since caused backlash among the fandom and within the artist community, since it’s generally tradition that editors do not receive creator credits. (Thomas was still editor-in-chief when Wolverine first appeared in 1974.)
In a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter), Thomas shared his thoughts on the new movie, and touched on the subject of his new co-creator credit.
“I’m particularly grateful to Marvel Entertainment for seeing the virtue of my position of some months ago that, building on the less formalized credits in 2017’s Logan, Len Wein, John Romita, and I all deserved official ‘co-creator’ status on Deadpool & Wolverine, just as the two co-creators of Deadpool have enjoyed,” he wrote.
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During Logan’s credits, Thomas was listed as part of the ‘thank-you’ section. Despite his inclusion in Deadpool & Wolverine’s credits, the ex-Marvel editor-in-chief maintains his name should have come first in the listing.
He continued: “Oh, sure, I strongly feel my name should have come first, not last, in the Wolverine grouping, since the Wolverine character was my concept on which Len and the others built … but hey, being listed last never hurt Oliver Hardy, Lou Costello, Jerry Lewis, or Paul McCartney, right? (Or Jack Kirby as in ‘Simon and’ and ‘Lee and,’ come to that.)”
He added: “It’s a shame and pity there’s been so much ill-considered ill will generated in recent months since Marvel decided to give me the official co-creator status that I’ve never for one moment doubted that I (just like Herb) deserved.
“The more so since my side of the creation story has been a part of the public record since articles printed in 1982 and 1999.”
For more, check out all the Wolverine variants found in Deadpool & Wolverine. You can also discover every Easter egg in the new movie, and find out what’s going on with Marvel’s Phase 6.
