Deadpool Ends Marvel's Bloodiest Trilogy with Final Universe Kill-Off

2011's *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe* certainly lives up to its name, taking readers on a wild ride as Wade Wilson unleashes chaos across the Marvel Universe. This hit series was so popular that writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dalibor Talajić teamed up again for the sequel, *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again* in 2017. Now, they're back for a thrilling conclusion with *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time*, where Wade's rampage extends beyond a single universe to the entire Marvel multiverse.

IGN recently had the chance to delve into the details of this final installment through an email interview with Bunn. Before diving into the interview, take a look at an exclusive preview of the first issue below to get a taste of the fourth wall-breaking carnage that awaits.

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time - Image Gallery

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Bunn, a prolific creator for Deadpool, has crafted numerous stories including *Deadpool: Killustrated*, *Night of the Living Deadpool*, and *Deadpool & the Mercs for Money*. When asked if he envisioned a trilogy from the start, Bunn 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!”

The challenge of escalating the conflict in a trilogy where Deadpool already decimates major teams like the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four is no small feat. Bunn's solution was to expand into the multiverse, allowing Deadpool to face off against diverse and distorted versions of Marvel’s heroes and villains, from Cap-Wolves to Worldbreaker Hulks.

“The multiverse most certainly opens up a lot of new avenues of exploration,” Bunn explains. “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?”

Bunn is excited for fans to experience the chaos, though he keeps the details of specific matchups close to the chest. “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,” Bunn 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 brought a new level of visual flair by shifting artistic styles, juxtaposing the violent reality with the sanitized version inside Deadpool's mind. Bunn assures fans that Talajić will continue to innovate visually in this trilogy's finale.

“With *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again*, we wanted to play with different eras and styles of comics,” Bunn remarks. “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!”

While referred to as a trilogy, the first two *Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe* books are not directly connected, each presenting unique scenarios for Deadpool's rampage. In the first, Deadpool becomes a nihilistic killer upon discovering his comic book existence. In the sequel, a different Wade is manipulated by villains to eliminate heroes.

The third book, while a standalone story, includes subtle nods to its predecessors. “It's a fresh start... sort of,” Bunn teases. “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.”

Despite the violence, the previous books portrayed Deadpool as a sympathetic figure, whether disillusioned by his comic book status or fighting mind control. Bunn hints that the protagonist in this final volume is even more sympathetic. “I think the Deadpool we see in this book is much more sympathetic than the killer Deadpool in the other series,” Bunn says. “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* will be released on April 2, 2025.