Justin Baldoni's has now dragged Disney in his ongoing tussle with It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively as he asked the Hollywood studio to preserve documents related to the character of Nicepool from Ryan Reynolds' Marvel film Deadpool & Wolverine.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's attorney, sent a litigation hold letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger and Marvel President Kevin Feige on January 7, requesting the preservation of all documents related to the development of the “Nicepool”, an alternate-universe version of Deadpool who exhibits traits that Baldoni believes are intended to ridicule him.
The move follows ongoing disputes between Baldoni and Reynold's wife Lively, who has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fat-shaming during the production of It Ends With Us.
In Deadpool & Wolverine, Nicepool sports a man bun—a hairstyle Baldoni was known for until 2023—and makes remarks about the appearance of his female counterpart, Ladypool, played by Lively.
At one point, Reynolds' Nicepool says, “Oh my goodness, wait until you've seen Ladypool. She is gorgeous. She just had a baby, too, and (you) can't even tell.” Deadpool, also played by Reynolds, responds, “I don't think you're supposed to say that.”
Nicepool then adds, “That's OK. I identify as a feminist,” a line many fans believe is a jab at Baldoni, who has built his career advocating for women's stories and co-hosted the "Man Enough" podcast.
A deleted footage, which is currently circulating on social media, showed Nicepool saying that his "calling is to one day start a podcast that monetises the women's movement." Marvel and Disney declined comment as did an attorney for Reynolds and Lively, reported Variety.
According to the letter, Baldoni's legal team wants “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."
To support his claim, they are looking for documents "relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool", among other subjects.
Last month, Lively filed a complaint with California's Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and arranging a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni has sued the New York Times for $250 million over a report about Lively's allegations against Baldoni, accusing the paper of cherry-picking information and removing context to make Lively look good. Lively returned with a lawsuit the same day.