Title: Justin Baldoni's Team Pursues Marvel's Involvement in Lawsuit Against Blake Lively
After social media embraced the theory that director and co-star Justin Baldoni from It Ends With Us inspired "Nicepool" in Deadpool & Wolverine, causing Baldoni's legal team, headed by Bryan Freedman, to address the matter head-on, a new round of criticism has surfaced against Ryan Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively, who appeared in the film as Ladypool. This time, Baldoni's team is bringing Marvel's Kevin Feige and Disney's Bob Iger into the mix.
According to Variety, Baldoni's lawyers are utilizing the allegation as a basis for issuing a litigation hold letter, requiring Disney and Marvel Studios to retain "documents and data" relating to Baldoni and "Nicepool."
During the press tours for Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Us, the rift between Baldoni and Lively, who starred together in Baldoni-directed films, escalated with public barbs over creative differences. The dispute culminated in Lively filing a lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2022 over misconduct allegations on the set of their drama. Baldoni then countersued both Lively and The New York Times, asserting that the actress and newspaper had purposefully misrepresented leaked texts to bolster Lively's case.
Scenes in Deadpool & Wolverine that echoed Lively's claims against Baldoni, such as Nicepool's lines about Ladypool "snapping back" into shape after having a baby followed by "It's okay, I identify as a feminist," and a deleted scene mentioning a feminist podcast, fueled the "Baldoni is Nicepool?" theory, contributing to its viral spread.
The litigation letter sent by Baldoni's team asks Marvel and Disney to preserve "any and all documents relating to the development of the 'Nicepool' character," as well as "communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines and scenes featuring 'Nicepool,'" and "all documents reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of 'Nicepool.'" Variety obtained a copy of the letter dated January 7, but as fires continue to ravage Los Angeles, the case has yet to move forward with either side commenting on developments since.
Keep up with the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, discover what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and stay informed about Doctor Who's future trajectory.
In the realm of future movie productions, io9 readers mightantically anticipate potential resolutions in the ongoing legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Ryan Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively. With Marvel Studios and Disney involved, cutting-edge technology could potentially play a pivotal role in unveiling hidden details about the 'Nicepool' character and its dubious origins in upcoming movies.
