Disney and Marvel have now been dragged into the ongoing legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
According to the latest 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 box office blockbuster, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
In a letter obtained by Variety, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, on January 7 reportedly issued a litigation hold letter which outlines Baldoni’s anticipated claims against Ryan Reynolds, Lively, and other unnamed parties. It demands the preservation of all documents and communications regarding the development of the character called “Nicepool,” a variant of Deadpool played by Reynolds in the film which released in July.Although the dispute originally centred on Lively and Baldoni’s collaboration on the sets of Sony’s ‘It Ends With Us’, Freedman contends that Reynolds used the Nicepool character to ‘mock’ Baldoni.
Freedman, speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, highlighted the parallels between the Nicepool character and Baldoni and said, “There’s no question it relates to Justin. Anybody who watched that hair bun knows.” He also criticised Reynolds for allegedly trivialising serious allegations of sexual harassment, saying. “If somebody is seriously sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of it. It’s a serious issue,” Freedman asserted.
In the film, Nicepool is portrayed as character who makes controversial remarks, including, a comment about Ladypool, played by Lively, “snapping back” into shape post-pregnancy.
Lively, in her lawsuit against the director, accused him of sexually harassing and fat-shaming her on the set of ‘It Ends With Us’. The scene in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ even features Deadpool confronting Nicepool’s misogyny, to which Nicepool responds, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist.”
According to reports, the litigation hold letter specifically requests Disney and Marvel retain communications and materials that could indicate “a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni” through the character.
