Is there a legal equivalent for the term grasping at straws? That is what this new element to the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni It Ends With Us drama certainly feels like. Even though the film was a Sony Pictures release, Baldoni and his legal team have now pulled Marvel and Disney into the mix because they believe that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, created a character in Deadpool & Wolverine to specifically mock him.
Per Variety, Baldoin’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, sent a litigation hold letter to Marvel head-honcho Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger regarding Baldoni’s “anticipated claims” against Reynolds, the star of Deadpool & Wolverine, his wife Lively, and other parties that are currently unnamed. The letter wants the pair to preserve every document that may reference Baldoni, because they believe that the character of “Nicepool” in the film, also portrayed by Reynolds, was specifically created to mock the It Ends With Us director.
Nicepool is an alternate version of the Deadpool character in the film that is overly nice and not nearly as violent or dripping with sarcasm as his other variants. Baldoni’s lawyer believes that the character was written in specific moments to poke fun at the actor/director by saying lines such as, “Where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?!”
They believe this is a reference to Lively’s claims that Baldoni wanted to add more sexual elements to It Ends With Us. There is also a moment when Nicepool compliments Ladypool (played by Lively) for “snapping back” physically following giving birth. They allege this is another nod to one of Lively’s claims that Baldoni fat-shamed the actress while they were filming as she had just given birth before shooting the film.
The It Ends With Us Legal Battle has Now Crossed Studios
All of this has gotten so crazy that it really does feel like Baldoni and his legal team are looking for anything that might make their case look better. That’s not to say that both sides don’t have a case, but Baldoni’s seems so hugely superficial and a reaction to Lively’s sexual harassment claims and comes off a bit like victim blaming. That being said, it’s interesting to explore if some of the character’s lines were created as a jab at Baldoni.
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Baldoni’s attorney recently appeared on ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’ to unveil the latest (purported) evidence.
For instance, after Nicepool makes the “snap back” comment to Ladypool, Deadpool is quick to point out the character’s misogyny, which results in Nicepool saying, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist.” It’s not hard to find instances of Baldoni representing himself as an ally to women once he acquired the rights to turn Colleen Hoover’s novel, which has a strong focus in domestic violence, into a film. The actor also touted that badge of honor during the film’s production and its subsequent promotion, which initially garnered him more approval over Lively, who was cited for promoting the movie on a more superficial level.
Since Reynolds, who is also a writer and producer on the Marvel film, has a direct association with Lively as her husband, the hold letter wants Marvel and Disney to make sure they hold onto all documents that deal with the Nicepool character. This includes, “communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines featuring Nicepool.” If that wasn’t enough, they also want the studio to preserve “All documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool.”
To his credit, Reynolds has never commented on whether Nicepool is a direct reference to Baldoni or his character while shooting It Ends With Us with his wife. For those wanting to explore this more, Deadpool & Wolverine was released on July 26, while It Ends With Us hit screens on Aug. 9. It’s possible Nicepool was a reference to Baldoni, and since a lot of this drama was playing out during the production of both films, it’s POSSIBLE he has a point. Fans also seem to think the evidence points to Reynolds using the character to mock Baldoni. However, it also seems like A LOT of assumptions and maybe if Baldoni sees some of himself in that character, perhaps a proper look in the mirror is necessary.
This was not the It Ends With Us sequel that many fans were hoping for.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, It Ends With Us is a drama-romance film directed by Justin Baldoni. The film follows a recent college graduate named Lily, who meets a man named Ryle and falls in love with him. However, a traumatic incident compounded with her former high-school sweetheart re-entering her life complicates her plans.
Release Date
August 9, 2024
Runtime
130 Minutes
Cast
Blake Lively
, Justin Baldoni
, Brandon Sklenar
, Jenny Slate
, Hasan Minhaj
, Amy Morton
, Kevin McKidd
, Isabela Ferrer
, Alex Neustaedter
, Robert Clohessy
, Robyn Lively
, Megan Robinson
, Robin S. Walker
, Emily Baldoni
, Adam Mondschein
, Caroline Siegrist
, Steve Monroe
, Daphne Zelle
Writers
Christy Hall
, Colleen Hoover
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