Did Blake Lively thank Shawn Levy in It Ends With Us credits? Kjersti Flaa alleges director helped her rewrite parts of Justin Baldoni's directorial

Norwegian entertainment journalist, Kjersti Flaa, discussed Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's starrer It Ends With Us in the latest episode of her Flaawsome Talk with Kjersti Flaa podcast. During this discussion released on May 27, 2025, Flaa alleged that Deadpool director Shawn Levy helped Lively edit Baldoni's directorial in the final cut.

In the aforementioned video, Kjersti Flaa mentioned that she got a tip from an industry insider who provided context about Levy’s longstanding working relationship with Ryan Reynolds, spanning several successful projects like Free Guy (2021), The Adam Project (2022), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). The insider claimed that Levy as a director was "willing to tailor a project to everything Ryan wanted."

"Ryan Reynolds finally met his match in Shaun Levy because Shaun Levy is letting him do whatever he wants in his movies…on project, they worked on together, Shawn and Ryan would spend time after shooting days to rewrite most of the script to Ryan's liking," Flaa added citing from the insider tip.

Additionally, as per an article by People Magazine, dated August 6, 2024, Blake Lively had included a list of names in a section of thank-you notes shown during the end credits of the romantic drama It Ends With Us, and Shawn Levy’s name was seemingly there in that list. Citing from her insider tip inside, Flaa stated:

"How is everyone looking at all the other people in the end credits but not Shawn Levy?"

Given Levy’s collaborative bond with Ryan Reynolds, who is also Lively’s husband, Flaa inferred that Lively might have turned to Levy for behind-the-scenes guidance to rewrite parts of Justin Baldoni's directorial.

"Why did Blake Lively thank him in the end credits? Was he also helping her edit the movie?" Flaa queried.

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What else did Kjersti Flaa claim about Shawn Levy’s role in the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starrer It Ends With Us?

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively (Image via Getty)

Amidst the ongoing legal drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni that stemmed from the sets of It Ends With Us, Kjersti Flaa delved deep into filmmaker Shawn Levy’s alleged behind-the-scenes involvement in this film

In her recent podcast, Flaa elaborated on why Levy’s appearance in the credits was “a big problem", particularly in the context of industry protocols governed by the Directors Guild of America (DGA). She explained that Levy was a member of the DGA and couldn’t "just hijack someone else's project." If he worked "on other people's project without getting credit" for his role, it could lead to serious ethical and procedural issues.

She further speculated on how unaware Justin Baldoni, the film’s credited director and co-star, might have been regarding Levy’s supposed involvement.

"I’m sure Justin Baldoni doesn’t even know that Shawn Levy was involved, and he probably didn’t know about him being mentioned in the end credits before he saw the movie," Flaa asserted.

Flaa also questioned the rationale behind Levy’s name being included in the credits, especially if his only connection was a personal one.

"Why would she just thank him out of nowhere if he had nothing to do with the movie if he's just friends with her husband? Why would you thank him in the end credits" she said.

The journalist further explained that if the allegations about Levy’s involvement in the film prove to be true, then Justin Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman might even subpoena Levy in the ongoing legal battle.

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Director Shawn Levy says Blake Lively’s feedback helped change the ending of Deadpool & Wolverine

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the New York premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine (Image via Getty)

Director Shawn Levy’s rumored involvement in Blake Lively’s It Ends With Us wasn't the first instance of the duo creatively influencing one another. According to a Hollywood Reporter article dated November 19, 2024, Levy credited Lively for playing a pivotal role in shaping the emotional payoff of Deadpool & Wolverine’s final act.

As per the report, though Lively briefly appeared in the 2024 Marvel film as Lady Deadpool, her input during production seemingly helped transform the tone and impact of the movie’s conclusion.

The report then shed light on how, in the director’s commentary, Levy had explained that the original ending for Deadpool & Wolverine was a little different—the power room was supposed to explode and almost immediately, the titular protagonists would emerge unharmed.

However, it was Lively who pointed out the missed emotional opportunity. Her feedback led to a creative shift and a reshoot that reframed the scene to emphasize uncertainty and emotional payoff.

"Credit where credit is due. It used to be that there was no suspense, that the power room blew up, and our heroes had survived," director Shawn Levy said in the director’s commentary release of the film.

(L-R) Kevin Feige, Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds at the 2024 Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center. (Image via Getty)

Blake Lively reportedly encouraged the team to let the audience "sit in the fear" that their heroes were "lost" and might not have made it. She suggested how it would create a "place of suspense so the triumph of their survival is more emotional and visceral." Reflecting on the impact of her suggestion, Levy added that it reshaped their entire approach to the scene.

"It really opened up a new way of thinking about this part of the movie and it’s why we did this reshoot… and, here, the payoff is so much more satisfying," he said.

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Currently, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are embroiled in an ongoing legal dispute, per People magazine. The conflict began when Lively accused the actor of sexual harassment and orchestrating a "smear campaign" against her. In response, Justin Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against both Lively and her husband. The case remains in its pretrial phase, with proceedings scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026.