Kevin Feige Isn’t Safe Either: Justin Baldoni Sends Notice to Marvel After Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Made Fun of Him in ‘Deadpool 3’
- Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal process is picking up steam.
- Now, Marvel president Kevin Feige, Bob Iger and Tim Miller got involved in it too.
- Feige and Iger received a litigation hold letter from Baldoni's attorney, in relation to one of the sequences of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Ever since Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni accusing him of s*xual misconduct and arranging a retaliatory smear campaign, it has been an ugly situation. The legal battle is moving fast and has now roped in Marvel president Kevin Feige, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and director Tim Miller. They have been swept into their drama about a particular sequence in Deadpool 3.
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman sent a litigation hold letter to Feige and Iger regarding his client’s ‘anticipated claims’ against Ryan Reynolds, his wife, and other personalities. The claims suggest that Reynolds dissed the It Ends With Us actor in certain dialogues of his latest release, Deadpool & Wolverine. The subject of the letter has been all over the media now. Read ahead to know more.
Why did Kevin Feige and Bob Iger receive a legal notice from Justin Baldoni’s lawyer?
While Sony released the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni starrer It Ends With Us, it might seem surprising that Bob Iger (Disney’s CEO) has received a legal notice, as neither the movie nor the actors had anything to do with Disney. However, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman believes that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, deliberately mocked his client in one of the sequences of Deadpool & Wolverine (produced by Disney).
In the said sequence, Reynolds’ character Nicepool (a variant of Deadpool) made some snarky comments like “Where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?!”, and commented on Ladypool’s (played by Lively) physical appearance by stating her post-partum figure. When Deadpool pointed at Nicepool’s misogyny, he said, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist,” which Freedman considers to be a mockery of Baldoni, who during the promotions of It Ends With Us, and on social media, often identified himself as an ally of women.
However, neither Disney and Marvel, nor Lively and Baldoni, have commented on this legal notice. Bryan Freedman was also not available to react to it. Reportedly, his house was destroyed in the LA fire.
What was the litigation hold letter about?
As per Variety, the litigation hold letter which was sent on the day fires began on January 7, 2025, called Marvel and Disney to preserve
‘Any and all documents relating to the development of the ‘Nicepool’ character‘ along with ‘communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines and scenes featuring ‘Nicepool.’’
It also entitled the studio to keep “all documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of ‘Nicepool.’
Even though Reynolds never explained whether Nicepool and Justin Baldoni had any connection, fans could spot the similarities long before this legal clash between the two parties. Apparently, there’s a Lively/Baldoni-style rift between Reynolds and Tim Miller who directed the first Deadpool movie and departed from the franchise since then. In the end credits of Deadpool & Wolverine, Nicepool was listed as Gordon Reynolds, and in the next turn of events, Blake Lively thanked Gordon Reynolds in the end credits of It Ends With Us.
When Bryan Freedman appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show, he talked about that particular Nicepool scene in Deadpool 3 and claimed that he plans to file a lawsuit against Hollywood’s ‘power couple’. Baldoni has not sued Lively or Reynolds yet. However, he and nine others have sued the New York Times for $250 million for putting out the Gossip Girl actress’ story without verifying the facts from the other side.
