Being a celebrity is a tricky thing, because it can make one's personal struggles into a very public struggle. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are going through this right now, as they've been involved in lawsuits surrounding It Ends With Us (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). And following their feud with Justin Baldoni, Deadpool & Wolverine fans think Nicepool is poking fun at the actor/director.
Blake Lively's lawsuit against the production team behind It Ends With Us cites a few issues with Baldoni, who has since filed his own suit against The New York Times for its reporting of it. Since then, a fan on Twitter went back and dissected Nicepool's scenes in Deadpool & Wolverine (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription), and theorized that the character might be poking fun at Baldoni. A thread of tweets mused about this, highlighting a similarity between the Wade Wilson variant and alleged stories about the director's behavior on set. It reads:
In this scene, Nicepool, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, sports a hippie-style man-bun and long hair, similar to Justin Baldoni’s signature look. Nicepool compliments Blake’s character, Ladypool, saying, 'Oh my goodness, wait til you’ve seen Ladypool. She’s gorgeous. She just had a baby too, and I can’t even tell.' Deadpool interjects, I don’t think you’re supposed to say that,'to which Nicepool calmly responds, 'That’s okay. I identify as a feminist.' This parallels Justin Baldoni’s public persona as an activist and feminist. Blake’s complaint also alleges that Justin fat-shamed her after she gave birth, called her 'sexy,' and made inappropriate remarks about her body.
A number of allegations were made against Baldoni (although to be clear, she's not suing him specifically). Lively claimed that he came into her trailer while undressed and while breastfeeding, and that he made inappropriate comments about her body. And since Lively and Reynolds regularly write with each other, this fan thinks that Nicepool's characterization was inspired by the It Ends With us actor and director.
Another claim that Lively has issues is that Justin Baldoni "improvised physical intimacy that had not been rehearsed, choreographed, or discussed with Ms. Lively, with no intimacy coordinator involved." And as such, the same Twitter thread linked this to another one of Nicepool's notable scene in Deadpool & Wolverine. As they wrote:
This scene features a supervillain, Cassandra Nova using her powers to probe Deadpool’s mind (also played by Ryan Reynolds). As she invades his memories, Deadpool exclaims, 'And where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?' A pointed jab referencing Blake’s allegations
Since Deadpool & Wolverine was delayed due to the strikes, it ended up crossing over a bit with Lively's work in It Ends With Us. So it's certainly possible that Nicepool's characterization could have been inspired by Lively's issues with Baldoni.
In the final Deadpool 3 battle against the Deadpool Corps., Nicepool comes back and meets a grisly fate. And some fans are finding this to be another connection between that variant and Baldoni. As the thread continues:
What happens to Nicepool’s character at the end? Well he gets shot to death multiple times by Ladypool played by Blake Lively herself while Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, uses Nicepool as a human shield. The scene takes place outside a flower shop referencing the movie It Ends With Us.
Of course, this is all speculation at this point. But the public finding these parallels shows how much of a hot button issue the It Ends With Us lawsuits are currently. Folks are invested and eager to see how things ultimately shake out within the legal system. And with Ryan Reynolds named in Baldoni's own suit, there will be even more eyes on the situation.
Deadpool & Wolverine is streaming on Disney+ and It Ends With Us is on Netflix. Check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
