"Deadpool Ends Marvel's Bloodiest Trilogy with Final Kill"

In 2011, *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe* shocked fans with its brutal premise: Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, goes on a rampage against the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. Its popularity spurred a sequel, *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again* in 2017, crafted by the same dynamic duo, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dalibor Talajić. Now, they're set to conclude their thrilling trilogy with *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time*, expanding the chaos across the entire Marvel multiverse.

IGN recently connected with Bunn via email to delve into the final chapter of this gory saga. Before diving into the interview, feast your eyes on an exclusive preview of the first issue below, and brace yourself for the fourth wall-breaking mayhem that awaits.

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time - Image Gallery

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Cullen Bunn is no stranger to the Merc with a Mouth, having written a slew of Deadpool titles from *Deadpool: Killustrated* to *Night of the Living Deadpool* and *Deadpool & the Mercs for Money*. Amid his extensive work, we wondered if Bunn had always planned for this to evolve into a trilogy. He shared, “I never knew that series would go anywhere or be anything more than me having a good time writing a comic. I can't help myself, though. I love thinking about where stories could go. I ask myself constantly... what's next? When I was first working on Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, my first pitch after I completed that series was Deadpool Kills the Marvel Multiverse. At least, that was one of three initial pitches, including Deadpool Kills the Marvel Cosmic Universe, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Zombies, Deadpool's Secret Wars, and Deadpool Killustrated. Two of those happened, but the Multiverse book was the closest to what we've got coming up. And, frankly, now is a much better time to do that story!”

Escalating a story where Deadpool already massacred the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four is no small feat. Bunn’s solution? Open up the multiverse, introducing readers to an array of bizarre characters like Cap-Wolves and Worldbreaker Hulks, along with entirely new and twisted versions of Marvel’s icons. Bunn explains, “The multiverse most certainly opens up a lot of new avenues of exploration. We wanted this to be different from what you've seen before in the series. We wanted to show Deadpool battling different versions of Marvel heroes (many readers will have seen before, many who are new). I spent a lot of time researching the "worst" (meaning "the best") variants of Marvel heroes and villains. What I didn’t realize when I set out is that we were creating the most epic Deadpool story of all time. How's that for an escalation? How's that for throwing the gauntlet down?”

While Bunn is eager for fans to experience the carnage, he remains tight-lipped about specific matchups beyond what's been teased in the solicitations. “I'm not going to spoil anything in the book. If I had my druthers, I wouldn't have even mentioned Cap-Wolf and Worldbreaker Hulk,” he says. “There are some cool, cool characters showing up in this series. Dozens and dozens of them. And Deadpool is battling some of the most powerful heroes and villains in the multiverse. How's he gonna manage to bring them down? There are some characters showing up in this book that from the ‘I've been reading comics a long time and love some obscure characters’ perspective that haven't been seen in over 30 years. Will those be the most epic of the battles? You'll have to see.”

In *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again*, Talajić elevated the series with his dynamic shifts in artistic styles, contrasting the brutal reality with Deadpool’s brainwashed, sanitized perception. Bunn promises more visual innovation in this final installment. “With Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again, we wanted to play with different eras and styles of comics,” Bunn notes. “With this new book, we're not changing the overall visual style for each kill. Where Dalibor really gets to shine, though, is in his interpretations of different worlds... different versions of our heroes... and a different version of [REDACTED] than you have ever seen before. Dalibor is a master of his craft always, but he's bringing some real insanity to the page in this!”

Although labeled as a trilogy, the first two books are not directly connected, each presenting a unique scenario for Deadpool's murderous spree. The first book features Deadpool turning nihilistic upon learning he's a comic book character, while the second sees him manipulated by villains. When asked how *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time* ties into the previous volumes, Bunn teases, “It's a fresh start... sort of. The story stands completely on its own. You need not read any of the other series. At the beginning of the story, though, observant readers might pick up on a few interesting tidbits that may connect to what has come before. Most importantly, though--this is its own story.”

Art by Davide Paratore. (Image Credit: Marvel)

Despite the violence, previous books portrayed Deadpool as a sympathetic figure, either disillusioned by his comic book existence or fighting against mind control. Bunn hints that this final installment will feature an even more relatable Deadpool. “I think the Deadpool we see in this book is much more sympathetic than the killer Deadpool in the other series,” he shares. “With this, we thought ‘What if Deadpool killed the Marvel Universe... and we were rooting for him to succeed?’ It is definitely challenging to set the stories apart. With this one, Deadpool's mission... and his headspace... make this book completely different. His headspace. I can't wait for readers to get that joke.”

*Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1* hits shelves on April 2, 2025.