Justin Baldoni’s Legal Battle with Blake Lively Escalates, Marvel and Disney Pulled into Fray
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s legal battle has taken a surprising turn, with Marvel Studios and Disney now entangled in the dispute. This development follows Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory online campaign against her during the production and marketing of “It Ends with Us,” a Sony film starring the feuding couple.
Baldoni claims that a character in Ryan Reynolds’ recent film “Deadpool and Wolverine” is a deliberate parody of himself, with Lively’s husband using the role to mock Baldoni’s self-proclaimed feminist persona. According to Variety, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has issued a litigation hold letter to Marvel President Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger, demanding the preservation of all documents related to the creation and development of “Nicepool,” a character featured in “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
The controversial character, Nicepool, is a gawky alternate version of the titular antihero, making comments that Baldoni’s team alleges are too specific to Lively’s claims against the actor to be coincidental. These remarks, delivered by Ryan Reynolds, parody a faux-feminist persona, with Nicepool stating, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist,” after Deadpool calls out his misogynistic comment against Lively’s Ladypool: “She just had a baby too, and you can’t even tell.”
Baldoni believes the scene was meant to ridicule him directly, given his prominent touting of his feminist credentials during the “It Ends with Us” promotional campaign. The litigation hold letter not only demands documents related to Nicepool but also requests records involving complaints “made against Ryan Reynolds by any person, including without limitation Tim Miller.” Miller, who directed the first Deadpool movie, did not return for the sequel or “Deadpool and Wolverine,” reportedly due to creative differences with Reynolds.
This development adds complexity to the ongoing legal battle between Baldoni and Lively, with Baldoni planning to sue the couple “into oblivion.” The feud surrounding “It Ends with Us” has garnered significant attention, raising questions about the blurring of lines between art and reality, as well as the preservation of personal boundaries on set. As the legal battle escalates, it remains to be seen how this will affect both individuals and the entertainment industry at large.