Disney and Marvel are resisting legal efforts to involve them in a high-profile legal dispute between actor-director Justin Baldoni and actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. In letters sent to federal Judge Lewis J. Liman, Marvel’s lawyers argue that any discovery requests involving the development of Deadpool’s new character ‘Nicepool’ should be paused.
According to Disney’s legal team from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, the subpoena targets sensitive and confidential materials tied to ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) storylines.
“The requested documents are particularly sensitive because they relate to the development of a character in an ongoing movie franchise,” Marvel stated in an April 25 letter, as per Deadline. The company stated about secrecy in future MCU projects, saying that disclosure of these confidential documents would prejudice Marvel.
The legal battle centers on the R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine film, where a character named ‘Nicepool’ allegedly mocks Baldoni. Lawyers for Justin Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios, executives, and PR team say the character is a defamatory and mocking portrayal of Baldoni and was created with ‘malice.’
In an April 28 letter to the court, Baldoni’s attorneys at Meister Seelig & Fein and Liner Freedman Taitelman + Cooley wrote, “Marvel will not be prejudiced if the Court declines to stay compliance with the Subpoena because the film has already been released, and any non-public documents can be marked ‘confidential’ pursuant to the Protective Order.”
They also argue that Ryan Reynolds’ attempt to dismiss the case doesn’t apply to the ongoing discovery, stating, “Reynolds himself has neither sought nor obtained a stay of discovery in connection with his dismissal motion.”
The legal conflict began with allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation filed by Blake Lively against Baldoni and his company, stemming from their work on It Ends With Us. Baldoni claims that Reynolds supported his wife throughout the legal fallout and was also involved in damaging his reputation publicly.
Baldoni’s team argues that Reynolds acted as an ‘agent’ for Lively and is now part of a USD 400 million defamation and extortion suit. They stated that even if claims against Reynolds are dismissed, the information sought in the Subpoenas remains relevant as to the suit against Lively.
The trial is set to begin on March 9, 2026. Judge Liman earlier referred to the situation as a feud between PR firms. With ongoing motions and subpoena disputes, including over Marvel’s internal communications, a decision on the Nicepool-related documents is still pending. However, the court is expected to rule on this issue before the next Deadpool film hits theaters.
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