AceShowbiz - Hollywood's favorite anti-hero is in the spotlight again, but this time it's off-screen. Ryan Reynolds is pushing back against a lawsuit from actor-director Justin Baldoni, who claims that a character in "Deadpool & Wolverine" was a defamation of his character.

In a motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ryan Reynolds is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.

The suit alleges that Reynolds mocked Baldoni through the character "Nicepool" in the film "Deadpool & Wolverine." Baldoni described Nicepool as "a vicious caricature of a 'woke' feminist" who meets a violent end at the hands of "Ladypool," a character voiced by Blake Lively.

Reynolds' attorneys argue that the claims are without merit and amount to no more than "hurt feelings." The motion from Reynolds highlights Baldoni's "thin-skinned outrage" over the portrayal, stating, "Mr. Baldoni's behavior is reflective of a 'predator,' " and that calling him such amounts to constitutionally protected opinion.

"While Mr. Baldoni 'may not appreciate being called' a predator, those hurt feelings do not give rise to legal claims," the motion claims, adding that Reynolds had "an unabashed negative opinion of Mr. Baldoni's character," but that it was not a statement of fact.

The motion also claims that Baldoni and his PR team launched a retaliatory social manipulation campaign to "destroy" Blake Lively after she spoke up about alleged sexual harassment during the production of "It Ends With Us."

The document portrays Reynolds as "a supportive spouse who has witnessed firsthand the emotional, reputational, and financial devastation Ms. Lively has suffered."

Additionally, Reynolds' legal team argues that Baldoni's lawsuit fails to present a prima facie case of defamation because it does not indicate any specific defamatory statement.

The lawyers further stated that the complaint is a "desperate effort to advance the same curated 'bully' image that the Wayfarer Parties created and disseminated in the retaliation campaign they launched against Ms. Lively in August of 2024."

Reynolds' motion paints the lawsuit as an attempt by Baldoni and billionaire Wayfarer co-founder Steve Sarowitz to ruin the reputations of Reynolds and Lively, claiming Sarowitz promised to spend up to $100 million to do so.

The legal battle has thus far been characterized by sharply-worded exchanges and has attracted significant public attention, raising questions about free speech, character portrayals in films, and the boundaries of public opinion versus defamation. Whatever the outcome, it is clear that the real drama is playing out behind the scenes.