By Justin Baldoni Issues Legal Notice to Disney and Marvel Over Ryan Reynolds’ “Nicepool” Character Amid Blake Lively Dispute
Disney and Marvel have become entangled in the ongoing legal dispute between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. According to recent reports, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and director Tim Miller have been asked to “preserve documents” related to the portrayal of “Nicepool” in the 2024 blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine.
A litigation hold letter, obtained by Variety and dated January 7, was reportedly issued by Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman. The letter outlines anticipated claims against Ryan Reynolds, Lively, and other unnamed parties. It demands the preservation of all documents and communications regarding the creation and portrayal of the character “Nicepool,” a variant of Deadpool played by Reynolds in the film, which was released in July.
The dispute originated from Lively and Baldoni’s collaboration on the Sony project It Ends With Us. Freedman claims that Reynolds used the Nicepool character to “mock” Baldoni. Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Freedman highlighted parallels between Baldoni and the Nicepool character, stating, “There’s no question it relates to Justin. Anybody who watched that hair bun knows.” He also criticised Reynolds for allegedly trivializing allegations of sexual harassment, adding, “If someone is seriously sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of it. It’s a serious issue.”
In Deadpool & Wolverine, Nicepool is portrayed as a controversial character who makes inappropriate remarks, including a comment directed at Ladypool, played by Lively, about “snapping back” post-pregnancy. The film features Deadpool confronting Nicepool’s misogyny, to which Nicepool responds, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist.”
Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fat-shaming during the production of It Ends With Us. Meanwhile, the litigation hold letter specifically requests Disney and Marvel to retain communications and materials that might indicate “a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni” through the Nicepool character.
