The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 536

The following day, Matthew headed to the garage, climbed into his SUV, and sped off toward the Hughes Aircraft Manufacturing plant, where pre-production was underway for the first superhero film Marvel was financing itself.

The Hughes Aircraft plant was originally founded by Howard Hughes—the inspiration for the hero of "Iron Man"—but the Los Angeles factory was eventually abandoned. Its massive hangar, once used to manufacture large aircraft, had been converted into a studio by Hollywood producers.

"It has a vast amount of space that traditional studios just don't offer."

Walking through the hangar, which was bustling with construction, Kevin Feige explained to Matthew, "We're going to build the cave where Tony Stark is held captive right here."

Matthew glanced at the workers erecting scaffolding nearby and commented, "You're making quick progress."

Kevin followed his gaze. "The movie is set to premiere early next summer. If we don't hurry, we'll have to push back the schedule."

"How's Robert Downey Jr. doing?" Matthew asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "No more drugs, right? Is he holding up?"

Kevin answered hesitantly, "Well, he's in good spirits, and he has a personality that's an especially good fit for Tony Stark."

Matthew looked down for a moment. So much money was invested in this franchise, and he certainly didn't want any surprises. Ideally, "Iron Man" would still launch the entire Marvel superhero cinematic universe, just as it had in his previous life.

As they stood talking about the progress on "Iron Man," Kevin suddenly asked, "You've been working with Warner Brothers lately, haven't you? Heard anything about them gearing up for a new DC superhero film?""Yeah," Matthew answered honestly. "Christopher Nolan is shooting 'The Dark Knight,' and Zack Snyder is interested in the classic DC comic 'Watchmen.'"

He smiled. "And the guys at Warner Brothers want me for a role in a DC movie."

"Really?" Kevin asked, his tone wary.

Matthew nodded. "They asked if I was interested in playing the Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' I turned it down."

Kevin seemed noticeably relieved. "You're a major investor in Marvel, how could you take on a DC comics blockbuster? Besides, Warner Bros. isn't being sincere enough. If I were them, I'd have offered you Batman."

Matthew laughed, not taking his words seriously.

In reality, the relationship between Marvel and DC wasn't nearly as tense and intense as it appeared from the outside. The two companies both competed and cooperated, with their competition kept within reasonable bounds.

Matthew had previously heard Stan Lee tell a story in an interview.

Once, back in the 1960s, Marvel Comics head Martin Goodman happened to run into DC's boss, Jack Liebowitz, on a golf course. During a casual conversation, Liebowitz mentioned that DC had just released "Justice League of America," which was a hit with readers because it brought together their most popular characters, like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.

Upon hearing this, Martin Goodman rushed back to his office and gave the order to copy DC's idea and create Marvel's own superhero team.

And so, the earliest version of the "Avengers" comic was born.

DC and Marvel have a long history of interaction, but the two companies rarely engage in open conflict.

"Someday in the future, you'll still have to play a Marvel superhero," Kevin said, taking the opportunity. "Even if it's just a cameo."

A star of his stature could generate a massive amount of buzz.

Matthew smiled as usual and gave a noncommittal reply, "We'll talk about that later."

Following Kevin, Matthew walked around the enormous set and approached a green screen area where the team was gathering for a group photo.

"Hey, Matthew."

Just then, someone came over to greet him. Matthew turned his head and saw Tony Stark—or rather, Robert Downey Jr.

"Hey."

Matthew shook his hand. Robert Downey Jr. seemed a little emotional. "Thank you for recommending me. I couldn't have gotten the part without your endorsement."

"You're welcome." Matthew had only recommended Robert Downey Jr. to protect his multi-million dollar investment, nothing more. "You've got what it takes to be the Tony Stark from the comics."

But Robert Downey Jr. said, "If you ever need anything from me in the future, just ask."

Matthew understood that Robert Downey Jr. meant he owed him a favor. He smiled and said, "If I need one, I'll be sure to."

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and a blonde in a short skirt walked past, looking more than a little embarrassed to see Matthew.

Gwyneth Paltrow immediately recalled her clash with Jennifer Aniston. Turning her head away, she walked straight to the other side of the set.

Matthew watched her go thoughtfully. If he hadn't signed the contracts right before this, he would have found a way to get Kevin to switch back to Rachel McAdams.

However, to be on the safe side, it was better to keep the original cast.

One by one, many of those approaching for the group photo were faces that made an impression on Matthew: Jon Favreau, who would have a cameo as Happy Hogan; a black actor playing Iron Patriot, whom he couldn't quite place; and Jeff Bridges, who was playing Iron Monger.

Seeing this, Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. But just as the cast photo was about to be taken, he saw a head of red hair.

***

"What are you doing here?"

Sitting in Scarlett Johansson's dressing room, Matthew watched as a makeup artist worked on her. "Don't tell me this is just a temporary cameo."

Seeing the makeup artist start to style Scarlett's curly red hair, he already had his answer.

Without turning around, Scarlett said, "Have you read the Marvel comics? I'll be playing the role of Agent Natasha Romanoff in the movie."

Matthew, of course, knew who that was and replied, "Black Widow."

"Yep." Scarlett glanced back at Matthew while the makeup artist went to get something. "Aren't you a producer? Didn't you know I'd be in this movie?"

Matthew propped his chin on one hand. "I'm more of a titular producer. I rarely get involved in the specifics of the production, and I've been too busy with other things to pay close attention to 'Iron Man.'"

Scarlett smirked. "I know, you're fighting with Diesel over the rights to 'The Fast and the Furious' franchise. I've seen his bald head around the Universal Pictures lot a few times."

Matthew fell silent.

Could he have been mistaken, remembering that Black Widow didn't appear in Marvel's superhero films until "Iron Man 2"? Or was it because he'd gotten involved in the project, causing a butterfly effect?

Seeing his strange expression, Scarlett suddenly asked, "Am I not right for the role of Black Widow?"

Matthew couldn't say what he was really thinking, so he tossed out a casual remark: "Aren't you the goddess of indie cinema? Why did you come and take on such a typical commercial role?"

Scarlett's tone was a little odd as she said, "The goddess of indie cinema? That sounds nice."

She was blunt. "But do you know what it was like for me back then, when I was only making independent art films? I couldn't even afford a dress, jewelry, and a car to walk the red carpet. I ended up having to get a loan from the bank. Money was a problem when I wanted to live a better life."

Matthew had heard that many actors who work in independent cinema and achieve a certain level of fame don't actually have it easy.

"It seems like you get a lot of fame, but very little reward from it." Scarlett sounded helpless. "Who doesn't want a life of luxury? Who doesn't want fancy cars and high-end luxury goods? After filming 'Lost in Translation,' I realized that trying to make it in the independent scene without a solid financial foundation is just foolish. That's why I did 'The Island.'"

The makeup artist finished with her hair. She stood up and turned to Matthew. "However, as you can see, my crossover film was a flop, and my movie career was almost over. This time, I fought hard for the role of Black Widow. To get the part, I even asked for just $200,000 for the film and signed a three-picture deal right away. I hope the movie you've invested in is a success, because if it fails too..."

Scarlett stood in front of the huge vanity mirror and declared, "Then I'll just move into your estate and stay there. I'll live off you."

Two female assistants came over then. Unbothered by their presence, Matthew made a direct invitation to Scarlett, "I don't mind. Maybe you'd like to come over to my place tonight after the shoot?"

"Time to change into your costume, miss," the makeup artist reminded her at that moment.

"Alright," Scarlett replied, and began to take off her clothes.

Seeing this, Matthew stood up. "I'll step out and talk to Kevin for a bit."

"No need." Scarlett gracefully removed her top, followed by the rest of her clothes. "Stay here."

Without pretense, Matthew sat back down in his chair. He gave the undressed Scarlett a sidelong glance and remarked, "You're slimmer than you used to be."

"I know." She dropped her underwear on the floor. "I've been working out a lot these past few months."

Scarlett took the special undergarment she was handed as two assistants approached. One began spraying her with an oil-like liquid while the other spread it with her hands all over Scarlett's body, paying special attention to her prominent breasts and buttocks.

Matthew had never seen this before and asked curiously, "What's that for?"

Scarlett pointed to the tight-fitting superhero costume the makeup artist was holding and replied, "This thing is too tight to wear normally. You have to apply a special lubricant to your body first to make it easier to move in."

Matthew's gaze fell on the skin-tight black combat suit of the Black Widow. He asked, "Do other superheroes do this too?"

Scarlett shook her head. "I don't know."

She asked the makeup artist next to her, "Claudia, do you know?"

Claudia, a veteran makeup artist for actresses in Hollywood, immediately answered, "I know for a fact that Superman and Batman do it. The lubricant not only helps with movement, but it also protects the skin."

Matthew then asked Scarlett, who was glistening with oil, "How does it feel?"

"Like a rat dipped in oil," Scarlett said, seeming to be in pain. "It's unbearable, but necessary."

An even more unpleasant sensation was yet to come. Despite her body being covered in lubricant, getting the tight black suit on was so difficult that it took two assistants plus the makeup artist to pull it onto Scarlett.

The makeup artist carefully wiped off the lubricant that had seeped onto the outside of Scarlett's outfit, but the inside had to remain close to her skin.

The sensation was far from pleasant; the suit was so tight it even made it difficult for Scarlett to breathe.

"The fight scenes in costumes like this must be ridiculous," Scarlett said to Matthew. "We're going to look like comedians."

Matthew smiled, gloating a little. "Seems I made the right decision not to take a superhero role."

It took about ten minutes for Scarlett to finally feel a bit more comfortable. After that, she left the dressing room with Matthew and went to a small studio surrounded by green screens to shoot the final poster for her role as Black Widow.

Matthew saw Kevin Feige in the studio, walked over, and asked, "Black Widow is going to be in the movie?"

"You didn't know?" Kevin looked surprised. "I sent the script to your email last month."

"I haven't checked my email in a while," Matthew replied awkwardly.

Kevin explained it simply. "Agent Natasha Romanoff will appear in a S.H.I.E.L.D. espionage context alongside Tony Stark. In the final battle, while Tony Stark fights Iron Monger, Natasha Romanoff will go after Stane's mercenaries."

Matthew nodded without saying anything. The bosses at Marvel knew far more about the Marvel universe than he did. What little he knew came only from the Marvel superhero movies he had once seen; the comics were much more complex than the films.

He also wasn't worried about Marvel messing up the film; Marvel had far more to lose than he did. If "Iron Man" bombed at the box office, he would just lose a pile of money. But Marvel would be facing bankruptcy, and it would be difficult for the company to get back into film production for a decade or more.

In that case, he feared, it was unlikely anyone would be interested in Marvel comics for a long time.

The entire brilliance of the Marvel superhero franchise actually stemmed from the fact that "Iron Man" had such a successful launch.

Unfortunately, DC, on the other hand, was still focused on "The Dark Knight" and was betting big on Zack Snyder's desire to adapt "Watchmen," but had no plans for a "Justice League" movie yet.

Perhaps it would be interesting to see if Marvel's "Avengers" and DC's "Justice League" could both take off and finally lead to an "Avengers vs. Justice League" movie?

But Matthew wasn't stupid enough to remind Warner Bros. of that. He had tens of millions of dollars thrown in on Marvel's side, with investment rights in several future films. His ass was definitely parked in Marvel's corner for the time being, and the emergence of another strong competitor before superhero films completely dominated the screen was not a good thing.

Christopher Nolan was about to create DC's greatest moment of glory in superhero cinema with "The Dark Knight," but he would also lead the entire DC franchise down a dark alley filled with shadows.

The problem was that, as David Heyman and Akiva Goldsman had themselves stated, the executives at Warner Bros. had a tradition of extending a "helping hand" and interfering directly with their films.

It wasn't good to give directors and producers too much power, but it was definitely bad to interfere with their creative process and change everything on the fly.

Matthew waited for Scarlett to finish shooting her character poster, then took a group shot with Kevin and all the actors in costume. Afterward, he dragged Scarlett away with him from the Hughes Aircraft plant.

They were ready to spend the night together.

***

It had to be said, the young Black Widow was quite good. But unfortunately, Scarlett was only in Los Angeles for three days before she had to return to New York.

Matthew's vacation also came to an end. After Guillermo del Toro was discharged from the hospital, the cast and crew of "I Am Legend" regrouped to resume filming.

***