Disney and Marvel are pushing back hard against being dragged into a messy, high-profile legal fight involving actor-director Justin Baldoni and Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Recently, Marvel’s lawyers asked a federal judge, Lewis J. Liman, to put a pause on requests for documents related to the new Deadpool character called “Nicepool.”
Why? Because Marvel’s team says the materials being demanded are super sensitive and tied to secret plans for upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies. Revealing these documents could spoil future storylines and damage Marvel’s business.
In a letter dated April 25, Marvel’s lawyers explained that the requested info is tied to an ongoing movie franchise — meaning the company really wants to keep it under wraps. They argue that sharing these confidential details now would unfairly hurt Marvel.
The whole legal drama revolves around the R-rated movie Deadpool & Wolverine, where a character named “Nicepool” supposedly takes shots at Justin Baldoni. Baldoni’s side claims this character is basically a mean-spirited, mocking version of him, created on purpose to damage his reputation.
Baldoni’s lawyers pushed back in court on April 28, saying Marvel wouldn’t actually be hurt if the judge lets the subpoena stand. They pointed out that the movie’s already out in theaters, so most of the damage is done, and any private documents could be kept confidential under court rules. They also mentioned that Ryan Reynolds, who’s trying to get the case dismissed, hasn’t asked to stop the discovery process — which means he can’t use that as an excuse to block sharing documents.
This fight all kicked off after Blake Lively accused Baldoni and his company of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to their work on the movie It Ends With Us. Baldoni says Reynolds stood by his wife and helped harm Baldoni’s public image. Baldoni’s team even calls Reynolds an “agent” for Lively and includes him in a $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit.
Even if claims against Reynolds get thrown out, Baldoni’s lawyers argue that the info they want from Marvel is still important for the case against Lively.
The trial is scheduled for March 9, 2026. Judge Liman has described the whole mess as basically a feud between public relations teams. With lots of motions flying back and forth — including battles over Marvel’s internal emails — the court hasn’t yet decided whether to force Marvel to hand over those Nicepool-related documents. But the ruling is expected before the next Deadpool movie hits theaters, so all eyes are on how this will unfold.
