The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 485

Over the next two days, Kevin Feige had his people contact Robert Downey Jr. Matthew kept a close eye on the developments; as expected, Robert Downey Jr. was very interested in the role of Tony Stark.

Once a nominee for the Best Actor Oscar, he was now in a difficult position. Drug abuse and jail time had nearly destroyed his acting career, but fortunately, his family connections still held some sway, and many people were willing to give him a chance.

Marvel, however, had its reservations about Robert Downey Jr. The risk of a drug relapse was simply too high.

The good news was that this wasn't an insurmountable problem. On Helen's advice, Kevin Feige devised a harsh compensation package. If Robert Downey Jr. managed to pass the audition for Tony Stark, he would receive only a very small percentage of his salary upfront. More than seventy percent of the remainder would only become available after Iron Man was officially released.

If, during that period, Robert Downey Jr. was involved in another drug scandal, he would not only forfeit the rest of his salary but would also have to pay a penalty of the same amount to the production.

With this in mind, they invited Robert Downey Jr. to audition, discreetly reminding him of the financial stakes.

These days, Robert Downey Jr. was in no position to negotiate. According to the information Matthew received, even if he passed the audition, Marvel was only prepared to offer him $500,000 for the film.

"Kevin, I have a suggestion you should consider."

In the Marvel Studios office, Matthew set down Robert Downey Jr.'s file and said, "If Iron Man is a success, all our subsequent plans will move forward, right?"

Kevin Feige nodded. Now that Matthew was the film's second-largest investor outside of Marvel and held the right to invest in future productions, their interests were aligned. There was no need for secrecy. "The plan will be executed. After four or five films, we'll assemble the Avengers."Matthew was already aware of this from the negotiations. "In that case, Kevin, why not sign Robert Downey Jr. to a multi-picture deal?"

Kevin Feige froze for a moment. They hadn't thought that far ahead. After all, Iron Man was a gamble, and there was no guarantee it would pay off.

Matthew, now both an investor and a producer, was naturally thinking in his own best interest. "The plan is to follow a successful Iron Man with Iron Man 2, correct? And The Avengers? All of them require Tony Stark, so why don't we lock the actor into a multi-film contract right away? Even if the actor's salary has to be renegotiated later, we'll still be in a much stronger position."

"Right!" Kevin Feige agreed with a nod. "I completely overlooked that."

Matthew added, "Robert Downey Jr. is in a tough spot right now, which makes this the perfect opportunity for us to make these offers. If Iron Man becomes a massive box office hit and we try to negotiate a new contract with him then, we'll have no leverage at all."

Kevin Feige paced back and forth in his office a couple of times before concurring. "I'll get on it. Even if the person who passes the audition isn't Robert Downey Jr., we'll still try to secure a multi-picture deal right away."

Matthew said no more. Kevin Feige hadn't considered it before because of financing and other concerns, but now that he'd been reminded, he would certainly find a way to secure a contract favorable to the studio. And given Robert Downey Jr.'s situation, as long as the terms weren't too demeaning, he would probably agree to it.

In his past life, he had been the highest-paid of all the Marvel actors. His salary alone was worth the combined income of all the other members of The Avengers, partly because Iron Man was the most popular character with the fans, and partly because Marvel had initially signed him to a single-picture deal.

Marvel probably never expected Iron Man to be as successful as it was, and signing Robert Downey Jr. for just one movie put them in a weak negotiating position later.

When Iron Man became a colossal hit and Marvel tried to bring him back, Robert Downey Jr.'s fee increased tenfold.

This led to a feedback loop: Iron Man films continued to sell well, and Tony Stark's popularity soared.

Matthew was fully aware that Robert Downey Jr. would be treated much worse than he would have been if he himself had been chosen for the role, but he had come to terms with the fact that suppressing labor for his own benefit wasn't such a bad thing.

While he knew nothing about filmmaking, he could see further than Marvel itself when it came to the Marvel superhero franchise. He had several more Marvel superhero films to invest in down the line, so if he didn't dig a pit for Robert Downey Jr. now, should he wait for Robert Downey Jr. to dig one for him in the future?

According to Matthew's own projections, once the Marvel superhero series was released, the biggest headache for Marvel Studios and Disney would be Robert Downey Jr.'s salary.

Even in Hollywood, there had never been two superstars so completely defined by a single series: Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow, and Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man.

Before leaving Marvel Studios, Matthew once again inquired in detail about their plans for subsequent films. Perhaps because Marvel itself was not in a very good position, the plans for the Marvel superhero series existed, but they weren't particularly clear. He saw many superhero names in the plan Kevin Feige provided.

As for which films would actually be made in the future, Marvel would have to wait until after the release of Iron Man before making a final decision.

If Iron Man failed, all subsequent plans would be postponed indefinitely.

Leaving Marvel Studios and getting into the Mercedes-Benz waiting at the door, Matthew turned his head to look at the office building adorned with comic book heroes. A thought suddenly occurred to him: could future superhero films win an Oscar? Or could they change their infantile status in industry circles and the media?

Even commercial films, whose sole purpose is to make money, are stratified. Comic book superhero movies were undoubtedly among those with a very low status.

This was the consensus throughout Hollywood, not just his own idea.

As the Mercedes sedan turned and headed south toward Beverly Hills, Matthew let his mind wander.

Given the current social climate in Hollywood, as well as its developing trends, there was a clear path for a superhero comic book movie to not only be praised by the media and critics but also to force the old guard at the Academy to shut their mouths.

Find a suitable superhero film, pack it with feminist themes, Black characters, gay and other LGBTQ+ elements, and anyone who dared to give it a bad review could expect to be buried.

Actually, Wonder Woman would be a perfect fit.

Matthew instantly recalled the long-legged heroine he had seen. Add a feminist dimension to the character herself, and then give her a Black lesbian lover...

Who would dare criticize it then? Who would dare give it a bad review? At least not publicly, not officially.

It would be a critical darling, and the Oscar for Best Picture would be all but guaranteed.

His phone suddenly rang. It was Kevin Feige.

"Hey, Kevin, what's up?"

"There's something I forgot to tell you."

"I'm listening."

"I have an idea that would be great for promoting the film. What do you think of Gwyneth Paltrow?"

Hearing this, Matthew immediately knew what Kevin Feige was implying and reminded him, "Gwyneth's married."

"Ah..." Kevin Feige sounded like he'd just slapped his forehead. "How about..."

Before he could finish, Matthew cut him off. "Kevin, let's leave that sort of thing to Robert Downey Jr. Anyway, I've got things to do. Stay in touch."

Gossip about romantic relationships between stars was indeed a reliable way to generate buzz and maintain attention, but Matthew didn't want to use that trick again for this particular film. First, there was already too much gossip surrounding him, and second, he had used it several times before. Continuing to do so might not be as effective for the film itself.

As for Gwyneth Paltrow, whom Kevin Feige had mentioned, Matthew wouldn't even consider it. Not only was she married, but she was also Hollywood's most famous case of princess syndrome.

Who had time to mess with someone who thought she was more refined than a princess?

After Matthew's injection of $40 million, preparations moved forward as planned. Casting for the remaining roles was now on the agenda, and Helen once again used Matthew's presence to cram a large number of junior actors from the Angel Agency into the cast.

These actors didn't command high salaries, but there were so many of them that the commissions the Angel Agency received added up to a considerable sum.