Marvel explains why they want to "quash" a subpoena in the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively trial over Deadpool character

Marvel has requested to be removed from the ongoing legal battle between It Ends With Us costars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The studio was subpoenaed by Baldoni's camp after he accused Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, of creating the Nicepool character in Deadpool & Wolverine, produced by Marvel Studios, to bully him.

However, on Friday, April 25, 2025, Marvel sent Judge Lewis J. Liman a "Letter-Motion to Quash and for a Protective Order to Portect Nonparty Confidential Documents" via an outside counsel. In the letter, Marvel asked the Judge for two things: "quash the subpoena" that Baldoni's Wayfarer issued to Marvel and issue a protective order that prohibits Marvel's confidential documents from going out.

The letter further explained why Marvel doesn't want to share any documents about Ryan Reynolds' Nicepool character because it's proprietary information. Part of the motion reads:

"The requested documents are particularly sensitive because they relate to the development of a character in an ongoing franchise. Marvel has built the success of the MCU in large part by interconnecting storylines, plots, and characters across its titles, including 'crossover' events and sequels."

Back in January 7, Justin Baldon's legal team issued Walt Disney Company's Bib Iger and Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige a litigation letter. They wanted to get "any and all" evidence of the Nicepool character creation, which they alleged was a "deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, and bully" their client.

However, in Marvel's motion, they noted how "broad" the discovery being asked of Marvel was. They further noted that any confidential documents being disclosed about the character would "prejudice Marvel."

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Justin Baldoni's lawyers respond to Marvel's motion to quash the subpoena

In response to Marvel's April 25, 2025, motion to remove itself from the legal back-and-forth between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the latter's defense has filed their response. They asked Judge Lewis J. Liman in a letter filed on Monday, April 28, to deny Marvel's motion. Justin Baldoni's lawyers claim that Marvel didn't communicate with them "in good faith" about their objections to the subpoena.

They claim that Marvel sent Wayfarer a letter with its objections to the latter's subpoena, which are allegedly the same as the objections the studio outlined in their April 25 letter-motion. However, Baldoni's attorneys claimed that Marvel refused to engage in any further discussion after that. Their letter, according to People, partly reads:

"On April 7, 2025, my office met and conferred with Marvel's counsel via telephone about the objections, and although we attempted in good faith to address Marvel's purported concerns about confidentiality and relevancy, Marvel's counsel interrupted us, refusing to engage in that discussion."

They further claimed in the letter that Marvel's counsel only wanted to know what documents Wayfarer "really" needed pertaining to the Deadpool & Wolverine character.

Amid the ongoing legal battle, Blake Lively recently premiered the A Simple Favor sequel, Another Simple Favor, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. She was also named as one of TIME's 100 most influential people for 2025. Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni has recently been photographed, according to People, on a holiday with his wife in Hawaii.

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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's case has been set for a March 2026 trial date.