The last few months have been hard on Hollywood’s former favorite couple, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Known for their ‘swoon-worthy’ romance, the duo has been facing a slew of allegations and lawsuits due to Lively’s ongoing battle with It Ends With Us actor and director Justin Baldoni. This turmoil has complicated both Reynolds and Lively’s careers, with more troubling details emerging about their lives. Amid this, fans are accusing Reynolds of sidelining Morena Baccarin, who played Vanessa in all three Deadpool films.
Morena Baccarin debuted as the love interest of Ryan Reynolds‘ Wade Wilson, but many fans felt that her role diminished significantly in Deadpool 2. Furthermore, in Deadpool & Wolverine, her role was reduced to a brief appearance, similar to other recurring characters, leaving audiences disappointed. A TikToker, known as @mugglesdaily, recently shared a video referencing a blind item dating back to July 2024, claiming Reynolds ‘iced out’ Baccarin, mimicking Lively’s reported behavior towards Baldoni.
The video posits that Ryan Reynolds did not invite Baccarin to the film’s premiere, which raised eyebrows among fans. Comments in the video suggest a problematic pattern, with the TikToker stating that Reynolds completely sidelined Morena Baccarin, making her absence felt during the film’s promotion, much like the rumors surrounding Lively and Baldoni. A quick search reveals that Baccarin was noticeably missing from several Deadpool & Wolverine cast interviews and promotional events. While the crew posed for photos together, Baccarin stood alone on the red carpet, leaving her treatment behind the scenes disheartening.
The backlash against Ryan Reynolds intensified as this TikTok became viral, spotlighting the ongoing concern over Morena Baccarin’s involvement. Within that context, Baccarin herself expressed her disappointment regarding her character’s underutilization in a 2024 interview with The Playlist. Speaking about the differences between Deadpool & Wolverine and the earlier films, she candidly remarked, “Yeah, I was hardly onset… No, I’m kidding. It was a huge film in general. You know, Marvel is a big studio, and they do things a certain way. So it did feel very different from [the others]. I mean, you have to remember the first film was essentially an independent, big-budget film, relatively speaking. But not at the scale of what it is now.”
While Baccarin was not the only Deadpool star to feel sidelined, fans have sensed a disconnect since the release of Deadpool 2. The growing fan disappointment is particularly palpable as attention shifted toward the film’s titular characters—Merc with the Mouth and Wolverine. Despite having significant roles in the earlier movies, the promotional efforts for Deadpool & Wolverine noticeably overlooked Baccarin.
The treatment of Morena Baccarin raises questions about the dynamics within the Deadpool franchise. As audiences continue to dissect the implications of her sidelining, it highlights the ongoing struggles female characters face in Hollywood, especially in blockbuster franchises. The film is available for streaming on Disney+, leaving fans wondering what the future holds for both Baccarin and the franchise itself amidst these unfolding dramas.
