Marvel revealed why it was so motivated to remove its inclusion from Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively.
In a legal letter submitted to Judge Lewis J. Liman by Marvel Entertainment, LLC lawyers on Friday, April 25, and obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, April 29, the company requested a “protective order prohibiting the disclosure of Marvel’s confidential documents” within Baldoni’s recent subpoena, due to the disclosure of forthcoming plotlines. (Baldoni claims that ‘Nicepool,’ seen in Deadpool & Wolverine which was released by Disney who owns Marvel, may have mocked Baldoni.)
Marvel’s letter stated, “The requested documents are particularly sensitive because they relate to the development of a character in an ongoing movie franchise. Marvel has built the success of the MCU in large part by interconnecting storylines, plots, and characters across its titles, including ‘crossover’ events and sequels. Whether and how such elements will appear in upcoming, unreleased projects is the subject of much public interest, and this information is closely guarded by Marvel.”
Lawyers for Baldoni, 41, submitted a letter to Judge Liman on Monday, April 28, also obtained by Us, opposing Marvel’s “motion to quash the Wayfarer Parties’ Subpoena” after the It Ends With Us director’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, asked Marvel to “preserve evidence” relevant to anticipated claims against Ryan Reynolds, Lively, 37, and other parties in January. (Lively starred alongside Baldoni in It Ends With Us and she, Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, are the subject of a $400 million civil lawsuit filed by Baldoni in January. All three parties have moved to dismiss the suit, and Baldoni’s lawsuit followed Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit against him that accused him of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her, both of which he has denied.)
Justin Baldoni Reacts to Marvel’s Removal Request From Blake Lively Lawsuit
This request formed part of a litigation hold letter, obtained by Us at the time, that referred to Reynolds’ “conduct in connection with any film in the Deadpool franchise,” plus any and all documents “relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully Baldoni through the character of ‘Nicepool.’”
Baldoni previously alleged via Freedman that Reynolds, 48, may have mocked Baldoni in Deadpool & Wolverine as Reynold’s ‘Nicepool’ character, a man bun sporting version of Deadpool, said the line, “Where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?” and compliments ‘Ladypool,’ voiced by Lively, for “snapping back” into shape after giving birth.
Furthermore, after Deadpool points out the comment’s misogynistic tone, ‘Nicepool’ replies, “It’s OK, I identify as a feminist.”
Baldoni previously sported longer hair, requested an intimacy coordinator on the set of It Ends With Us and has been vocal about his feminism in the past, receiving a Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices for his support of women in December 2024.
In Baldoni’s recent letter to Judge Liman that opposed Marvel’s motion, Baldoni’s legal team alleged that Marvel “did not meet and confer with us ‘in a good father effort to resolve this dispute,’” which referenced a claim from Marvel’s motion.
“On April 2, 2025, Marvel sent the Wayfarer Parties a letter containing its objections to the Subpoena, which are the same objections set forth in its recent letter-motion,” Baldoni’s lawyers wrote. “On April 7, 2025, my office met and conferred with Marvel’s counsel via telephone about the objections, and although we attempted in good faith to address Marvel’s purported concerns about confidentiality and relevancy, Marvel’s counsel interrupted us, refusing to engage in that discussion.”
Justin Baldoni Asks Marvel to Preserve Documents About ‘Nicepool’ Character
Baldoni’s lawyers continued, “Instead, Marvel’s counsel interjected and stated he merely wanted to know what documents the Wayfarer Parties ‘really’ needed, regardless of the Subpoena’s demand for all documents concerning: (a) the creation, development, modification or portrayal of Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Nicepool’ character from Deadpool & Wolverine; and (b) Justin Baldoni.”
Baldoni and Lively’s legal saga began in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him, in part, of sexual harassment. He denied all allegations at the time and subsequently sued Lively, Reynolds and Sloane.
Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have all filed motions to be removed from Baldoni’s lawsuit. A trial is set to begin in 2026.
