Justin Baldoni Escalates Feud, Targets Marvel Over ‘Deadpool’ Character
Justin Baldoni’s dispute with Blake Lively is spilling into Hollywood’s superhero universe — and now, Marvel is in his crosshairs.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Baldoni claims that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, mocked him in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie. Specifically, Baldoni believes the character “Nicepool” is a thinly veiled jab at him. He’s now demanding Marvel preserve all documents related to the characters Ryan plays in the film.
Marvel isn’t having it. Last week, the studio filed a motion to quash Baldoni’s subpoena, arguing the request has nothing to do with Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle involving Lively and Reynolds. They assert that the film’s characters and dialogue are protected creative expression, not factual claims.
But Baldoni is pushing back. In his latest legal filing, he insists the Deadpool reference is highly relevant to his case — especially a scene where Nicepool compliments Ladypool (Blake’s character) postpartum, saying, “You can’t even tell,” and makes a comment about identifying as a feminist.
Baldoni argues these lines are personal digs, pointing to past allegations that he fat-shamed and sexually harassed Lively on the set of It Ends With Us — accusations he denies. He believes the feminist reference mocks his public image as a vocal ally and advocate for gender equality.
Marvel maintains that the film’s jokes are protected as opinion and satire, not statements of fact. But Baldoni says he needs access to behind-the-scenes documents to investigate whether there was intent to harm — particularly from Reynolds — which could support a claim of malice.
For now, the legal standoff continues, as the line between parody and personal feud gets increasingly blurred in the court of law — and public opinion.
