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For Batman/Deadpool, DC & Marvel Comics nixed the only character jointly owned by both comics publishers, says Grant Morrison

Access, a character that both DC and Marvel have claim over and was created during the famous 1990s Amalgam crossover, didn't make the Batman/Deadpool final cut, says Grant Morrison

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Thu Dec 04 2025

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Maybe it's just me, but when the biggest comic book rivals in the industry announced a crossover in 2025, I felt like anything was possible. I'm talking, of course, about the Batman/Deadpool stories, the latter of which was written by Grant Morrison and featured art by Dan Mora. Here's the thing, though - it turns out that, even in a project where two jealous IP holder agree to share, there are still things that are off limits.

Or I should say - a particular character that is off limits.

We got the story from none other than Grant Morrison themselves, who revealed in the most recent issue of their Substack that they hoped to use one very niche hero from comicdom's history, but couldn't squeeze him into to Batman/Deapool. Referencing a moment in the comic in which a Joker-themed Jack-in-the-box appears, Morrison writes:

"Originally I wanted the jack-in-the-box to have the distinctive armoured tunic of the character Access – the only character jointly owned by Marvel and DC – who was created to facilitate events in the original Amalgam crossover but there was some pushback on Access and I was asked not to include any reference to that character."

In case you need a history lesson (and we can hardly blame you if you do), the superhero Access is actually Axel Asher, an admittedly niche but nevertheless history character who first appeared in 1996's DC vs. Marvel #1. And what Morrison says about ol' Axel is true - the character's IP is shared by both House DC and House Marvel, the only character in superhero comics to have the honor.

So we have to wonder - if Marvel and DC were willing to let each other publish official books with their most valuable respective assets in each, why wouldn't they be OK with sharing the only one that they both have claim over? It's a weirdly restrictive move for sure, especially for a character whose literal name is Access.

Deadpool/Batman and Batman/Deadpool are available at your local comic shops now.

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.