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Netizens think Ryan Reynolds made a brutal joke about Justin Baldoni in 'Deadpool and Wolverine'

The realization comes amidst Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle with her 'It Ends With Us' co-star and director, Baldoni.

Ryan Reynolds, known for his sharp wit and humor, may have taken sly jabs at Justin Baldoni in Deadpool & Wolverine. The realization comes amidst Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle with her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Baldoni. Fans pointed to one particular scene where Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine meet 'Nicepool,' a Deadpool variant with a man bun— Baldoni’s signature look until 2023. Nicepool then makes a remark about Ladypool, played by Lively in a cameo. He 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," as reported by Unilad.

Deadpool, however, stresses, "I don't think you're supposed to say that," when Nicepool brushes off his comment. He defends, "That's ok. I identify as a feminist." The dialogue struck a chord with fans, given Baldon’s self-identification as a feminist in his 2017 TED talk and his 2018 Romper essay about being a 'feminist dad.' In his TED talk, he asserted that he was “trying to be a feminist, amplifying the voices of women around the world.”

Additionally, another scene features Deadpool snapping at supervillain Cassandra Nova, exclaiming, "And where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?" This line mirrors one of Lively’s key allegations— the lack of an intimacy coordinator on It Ends With Us and Baldoni’s alleged improvised physical intimacy during filming, as noted by E! News.

Social media is lit up with theories. One critic noted, “Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine is nominated for Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at tonight’s Golden Globes. Is Nicepool just a thinly-veiled dig at Justin Baldoni? Blake Lively sipping rosé as the receipts burn…” In agreement, another added, “Someone on TikTok posited that Nicepool in Deadpool & Wolverine is supposed to be Justin Baldoni. Putting these two clips together and considering Blake Lively played Ladypool, it makes a pretty strong case.” In a similar vein, one echoed, “Man bun? Check. Feminist line? Check. Ryan Reynolds making Justin Baldoni the butt of a Deadpool & Wolverine joke while Blake Lively stirs the pot? Triple check. ‘Nicepool’ wasn’t personal? Sure...Watch the scene and tell me otherwise.” A comment also read, “I can’t think of Nicepool the same way again after that rumor dropped of Ryan Reynolds modeling him after Justin Baldoni.”

As per reports the movie wrapped filming five months after Reynolds attended a tense meeting on the It Ends With Us set. Fans have hence argued that this scene can be a subtle form of catharsis. The legal battle has made headlines since December last year, with Lively accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, toxic behavior, and retaliatory smear campaigns. She filed a federal complaint at California’s Civil Rights Department, citing 'severe emotional distress' and improvised inappropriate scenes on set. Baldon’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, called the claims 'categorically false' and accused Lively of damaging Baldoni’s reputation.