Ryan Reynolds remains attached to major Hollywood projects, but a new report claims that some studios have become more cautious about working with him following Blake Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
One unnamed studio executive said Reynolds is still considered talented and pleasant to work with, but claimed his high fee and the publicity surrounding the case have complicated decisions about beginning new collaborations.
No studio has publicly confirmed removing Reynolds from a project or rejecting him because of the dispute.
Lively and Baldoni settled their lawsuit on May 4 after more than a year of litigation connected to It Ends With Us.
One Executive Says Some Studios Are ‘Stepping Back’
The claim originated in a Daily Mail report examining whether Reynolds’ support for Lively had affected his Hollywood career. “There are some studios who are still stepping back from Ryan,” an unnamed executive told the outlet.
The source described Reynolds as well liked but claimed that companies were weighing his substantial fee against what the person called unwanted “baggage in the press.” Another insider disputed the idea that Reynolds had become broadly unwelcome in Hollywood, saying business at Maximum Effort was continuing as usual.
Recent coverage has also attempted to connect the legal controversy to the closure of Aviation American Gin’s Portland visitor center. Brand owner Diageo said the decision reflected “evolving business needs” and emphasized that Aviation remained an important part of its portfolio. The company did not connect the closure to Reynolds, Lively or the Baldoni case.
Reynolds’ Messages Made Him Part of the Legal Dispute
Lively sued Baldoni and several other defendants in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation connected to the production and promotion of It Ends With Us. Baldoni denied her allegations.
Baldoni later filed a countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist and others, accusing them of defamation and other misconduct. A federal judge dismissed the claims against Reynolds and the other defendants in June 2025, and the countersuit formally ended that October after Baldoni’s side did not file an amended complaint.
Reynolds received renewed scrutiny when messages he sent to entertainment-industry contacts were unsealed in January. In them, he used harsh language to describe Baldoni and criticized how he believed Lively had been treated during the film’s production and release.
A representative defended Reynolds’ involvement in a statement reported by People, saying he had supported his wife after she raised workplace concerns. “If anything, Ryan feels like he wasn’t angry enough,” the representative said. A judge dismissed several of Lively’s claims in April 2026 but allowed claims involving alleged retaliation and breach of contract to continue. Lively and Baldoni reached an undisclosed settlement on May 4 without either side admitting wrongdoing.
Marvel Gave Reynolds a Major Comic-Con Spotlight
The fans got Deadpool off the ground so many years ago. Yesterday, 10 years after the first film and exactly 2 years after Deadpool & Wolverine, I felt so lucky to be on the #SDCC floor with everyone whose unapologetic devotion brings so much joy to this world. pic.twitter.com/IM7DSIjNfs
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 26, 2026
Reynolds returned to one of Hollywood’s most visible franchise stages on July 25 during Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. Before the panel, he walked through the convention floor in a gray-blue Deadpool costume with his identity concealed, interacting with fans who did not realize they were meeting the actor.
“No handlers, no security, no ropes. WHAT A GIFT,” Reynolds wrote when he later shared footage from the experience. He then appeared during Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday presentation and jokingly asked Robert Downey Jr. and the cast whether additional photography might create an opening for Deadpool.
Apple Will Release ‘Mayday’ in September
Reynolds’ next completed movie is Apple Original Films’ action comedy Mayday, co-starring Kenneth Branagh. Reynolds plays Troy “Assassin” Kelly, a U.S. Navy pilot whose Cold War mission inside Russian territory collapses. Stranded behind enemy lines, he encounters Nikolai Ustinov, a former KGB agent played by Branagh.
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein wrote and directed the movie. Maximum Effort executives Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau are producers, while Reynolds and company co-founder George Dewey serve as executive producers. Mayday will premiere globally on Apple TV on September 4, 2026.