Justin Baldoni Sends Legal Demand to Marvel & Disney for Documents Related to ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’s Nicepool Played by Ryan Reynolds

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As a follower of the intriguing drama surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni‘s adaptation of “It Ends With Us,” I can’t help but wonder if there’s a legal counterpart to the phrase “grasping at straws.” It seems that Baldoni and his legal team have indeed taken their case to unprecedented heights, involving Marvel and Disney, as they assert that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, intentionally created Deadpool and Wolverine characters to satirize Baldoni. This legal maneuver certainly feels like reaching for the farthest, most tenuous connections available.

As a follower, I’m sharing that, following Variety’s report, Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoin, has sent a litigation hold notice to Kevin Feige of Marvel and Bob Iger at Disney. This letter is aimed at both parties, requesting they preserve any documents pertaining to my name, as we anticipate making claims against Ryan Reynolds, the star of Deadpool and Wolverine, his wife Blake Lively, and currently unnamed others. The reason for this request is our belief that the character of “Nicepool” in the film, also played by Reynolds, was specifically designed to parody me, given my role as director of It Ends With Us.

In a different take on the Deadpool character from the movies, Nicepool presents a more pleasant version who is significantly less violent and sarcastic than his other counterparts. Lawyers for Baldoni argue that this character was deliberately written to satirize the actor/director in certain scenes, as evidenced by lines like, “Where on earth is the intimacy supervisor?“.

It’s suggested that they think this reference points towards Baldoni pressuring Lively for more explicit content in “It Ends With Us,” and another scene where Nicepool praises Ladypool (played by Lively) after her physical transformation post-childbirth could be interpreted as a subtle allusion to Lively’s allegations that Baldoni criticized her body during filming due to her recent childbirth.

The It Ends With Us Legal Battle has Now Crossed Studios

It appears that things have spiraled out of control to such an extent that it seems as though Baldoni and his legal team are grasping for any evidence that could potentially strengthen their argument. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that both parties don’t have valid cases. Rather, Baldoni’s case appears to be rather shallow and seems like a retaliation against Lively’s sexual harassment allegations, which can unintentionally resemble victim blaming. On the other hand, it’s intriguing to speculate if some of the character’s dialogue might have been intended as a jibe towards Baldoni.

For example, when Nicepool makes a dismissive comment to Ladypool, Deadpool quickly calls out Nicepool’s misogyny. This leads to Nicepool responding, “I consider myself a feminist.” It’s not difficult to observe Baldoni presenting himself as an advocate for women after he obtained the rights to adapt Colleen Hoover’s novel into a film, which deals heavily with domestic violence. During the production and promotion of the movie, Baldoni frequently emphasized his support for women’s issues, earning him more praise than Lively, who was criticized for promoting the film in a less substantial manner.

This version attempts to keep the original meaning while using more common and conversational language.

Given that Reynolds, who is not only a writer and producer for the Marvel film but also Lively’s husband, the letter requests Marvel and Disney to keep all records concerning the Nicepool character. This encompasses correspondence related to the creation, scripting, and production of stories involving Nicepool. Additionally, they urge the studio to maintain any documents that demonstrate an intentional effort to satirize, harass, belittle, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool.

It should be noted that Reynolds has remained silent about whether Nicepool was intended as a jab at Baldoni or his character during their joint filming of It Ends With Us. For those interested in delving deeper, Deadpool & Wolverine premiered on July 26, while It Ends With Us was released on Aug. 9. It’s plausible that Nicepool could be a reference to Baldoni, given the simultaneous development of these films. Since there appears to be much speculation surrounding this topic, it’s possible he may have a valid point. Some fans believe Reynolds created the character as a satire aimed at Baldoni. However, it seems many assumptions are being made, and if Baldoni recognizes himself in that character, a more introspective approach might be beneficial.

This was not the It Ends With Us sequel that many fans were hoping for.

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2025-01-15 03:01