Justin Baldoni insists Marvel safeguard docs 'relating to' Ryan Reynolds' Nicepool in Blake Lively legal row

Justin Baldoni is insisting Disney and Marvel execs prioritize protecting documents centered around a Deadpool & Wolverine character named Nicepool he says was an inside joke at his expense, amid issues with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

The legal request, made last week, came as Baldoni, 40, said Reynolds, 48, misused his creative control on the Marvel summer hit to denigrate him, amid his issues with Blake Lively, 37, during production of It Ends with Us, which has subsequently resulted in multiple lawsuits.

Lively has claimed in a lawsuit that the actor-director sexually harassed her while making It Ends With Us. Baldoni - who has denied all of the claims against him in Lively's legal filing - has sued The New York Times for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story titled '"We Can Bury Anyone": Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.'

Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman sent a January 7 notice to Disney CEO Bob Iger, Marvel president Kevin Feige and director Tim Miller, who directed the 2016 film Deadpool, Variety reported on Tuesday after reviewing the notice in question.  

Freedman told Iger, Feige and Miller that there were 'anticipated claims' Baldoni planned on making at Reynolds, Lively and their collaborators, urging them to 'preserve all relevant documents and data' about Baldoni, the outlet reported. 

Dailymail.com has reached out to reps for Reynolds and Lively for further comment on this story.

Baldoni attorney Freedman 'is believed to be one of the many industry figures whose home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire,' Variety reported, which would explain a lull in the case in recent days.

In the letter, sent the day the fires broke out, Freedman told Iger, Feige and Miller to safeguard 'any and all documents relating to the development of the Nicepool character' and 'communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines and scenes featuring Nicepool.'

Freedman told Iger, Feige and Miller to save 'all documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool.'

Freedman said that the statement was sent ahead of 'anticipated claims relate to Reynolds and Lively's tortious interference with contract and civil extortion,' Variety reported.

It also requested information be safeguarded in relation to Tim Miller's defection from the franchise and times in which Reynolds exercised 'creative control of any film project' in their purview.

Reynolds has not publicly commented on the Nicepool character, amid online speculation it was a spoof of Baldoni amid the spate of suits, the outlet reported.

In another connection, the Nicepool actor is credited to Gordon Reynolds, the same name Lively sent thanks to in the end credits of It Ends With Us. 

Freedman, appearing January 7 on The Megyn Kelly Show said that 'there's no question' Reynolds was looking to humiliate Baldoni with the creation of the character Nicepool. 

'What Ryan Reynolds has seemingly done is use his power and influence ... on Deadpool and to make fun of Justin Baldoni,' Freedman said.  

Kelly played a clip of the Nicepool character - who wore a manbun style Baldoni has past worn, and had dialogue referencing an affinity for social activism, as well as Lively's Ladypool character and her pregnancy - and then asked Freedman what he made of it.

Freedman replied, 'What I make of that is that if your wife is sexually harassed, you don't make fun of Justin Baldoni; you don't make fun of the situation - you take it very seriously.'

Freedman said that Reynolds addressing grievances with Baldoni with a comedy sketch undercuts the credibility of sexual harassment claims Lively has made in her lawsuit against the filmmaker.

'What you don't do is mock the person and turn it into a joke,' Freedman said, adding that the proper protocol of addressing the serious situation would be to 'file HR complaints [and] raise the issue and follow a legal process.'

He added: 'If someone is sexually harassed, you don't make fun of it - it's a serious issue.' 

Freedman said that traits shown by the Nicepool character was a clear joke at Baldoni's expense in an effort to humiliate the actor-director.

'There's no question it relates to Justin,' Freedman said. 'I mean anybody that can watch that - the hair bun, you know, the comment about the pregnancy - it's pretty obvious what's being done.' 

Reynolds 'for sure' will be named in a lawsuit over It Ends With Us, Freedman told Kelly, adding that Reynolds helped 'Blake Lively take over' It Ends With Us.

Lively at a premiere even falsely claimed Reynolds penned a scene in the romantic drama, the attorney said.

The claims shocked Sony officials and production staffers on the film - as Christy Hall and Colleen Hoover were the only writers credited on the movie - but Baldoni handled the uncomfortable situation with grace. 

'It's the first time they're hearing that and Justin handles that really, really well and doesn't want to say she's a liar, doesn't want to say that's inappropriate ... and he treats her very well about that,' Freedman said.

Freedman told Kelly that Baldoni - who has not yet raised legal action against Reynolds and Lively - intends to sue the pair 'into oblivion.' 

The appearance came as intrepid viewers of Deadpool & Wolverine began to question in Nicepool was a shot at Baldoni in the wake of revelations detailing his tension with the A-list couple throughout the making of It Ends With Us. 

Deadpool & Wolverine, also starring Hugh Jackman, was filmed at the same time as It Ends With Us and was written by Reynolds.

In a scene in the movie, Deadpool and Wolverine encounter a Deadpool 'variant' named Nicepool (who was also played by Reynolds) sporting a man bun, a hairstyle Baldoni wore for years.

The character made a comment about Ladypool – played by Lively – saying, 'Oh my goodness, wait til you've seen Ladypool. She is gorgeous. She just had a baby too and [you] can't even tell.'

Deadpool responded, 'I don't think you're supposed to say that' to which Nicepool, with one hand on his chest, declared, 'That's OK - I identify as a feminist.'

Baldoni has frequently and publicly said that he is a feminist. He gave a TED talk in 2017, titled 'Why I'm done trying to be "man enough."'

During his speech he said that he was 'trying to be a feminist, amplifying the voices of women around the world.' 

The following year, Baldoni wrote an article for Romper about being a 'feminist dad' to his and wife Emily Baldoni's two children. 

Deadpool & Wolverine completed filming in June 2024, which is five months after Lively and Reynolds had attended an 'all hands' meeting with Baldoni to address the 'repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior,' according to Lively's lawsuit. 

Lively gave birth to her and Reynold's fourth child, son Olin, just months before filming It Ends With Us began. 

In both of her lawsuits she alleges that Baldoni 'routinely degraded' her by 'finding back channel ways of criticizing her body and weight.'

In another scene in Deadpool & Wolverine, supervillain Cassandra Nova (played by Emma Corrin) gets inside Deadpool's mind to gain access to his memories. She literally sticks her hand into Deadpool's head as he yells, 'And where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?'

Lively alleges that Baldoni 'improvised physical intimacy that had not been rehearsed, choreographed, or discussed' with her, 'with no intimacy coordinator involved' in her lawsuits.

In Baldoni's lawsuit against the the New York Times, he alleges that Lively 'refused to meet with the intimacy coordinator to plan out the film’s sex scenes.'

In the lawsuit Lively filed last month, she accused Baldoni of body-shaming her, attempting to add additional sex scenes into the movie, showing her pornographic images and videos, breaking character and continuing to kiss her while filming.

Lively also claimed in legal documents Baldoni launched a 'social manipulation' campaign against her to 'destroy' her reputation.

Lively told The New York Times the day after she filed the complaint, 'I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.' 

Since the complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced a number of professional consequences, including a lawsuit from a former publicist; and being dropped by the agency WME, which also reps Lively and Reynolds.

Baldoni has accused Reynolds of screaming at him during the fateful production meeting at the couple's apartment.

Reynolds is said to have 'aggressively' accused Baldoni of a string of offenses against his wife, including 'fat shaming' her, during a meeting with other producers and a representative of Sony. 

Baldoni called the encounter 'traumatic,' stating he had 'never been spoken to like that in his life.'

A source close to Reynolds denied this claim, as eyewitnesses told TMZ that while Reynolds was 'angry and stern,' his behavior cannot be categorized as yelling.

Baldoni's lawsuit against the Times follows Lively's lawsuit against him for alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages, though he has denied her accusations. 

She initially filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 21, before filing a federal lawsuit against him on December 31, the same day he sued the newspaper.

It Ends with Us, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, arrived in theaters August 9 and was a hit with audiences. 

The film, adapted from the 2016 Colleen Hoover novel, earned $148 million in domestic box office, and $350 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.