The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 629

It was a scorching May afternoon in Los Angeles. The sun, already beginning its descent toward the west, still blazed with fierce intensity. A long red carpet stretched before the Chieftain's Rock Theatre, ready to welcome the creators and guests for the premiere. Not only were Matthew, Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Scarlett Johansson—all of whom had either invested in or worked on the film—in attendance, but even Stan Lee and many other executives from Marvel Comics had made the trip from New York.

This was the inaugural film in Marvel's new superhero franchise and the first in the Avengers project, a venture of immense importance for the struggling Marvel Comics.

It would be no exaggeration to say that its success could single-handedly determine the fate of the entire company.

However, Matthew knew perfectly well that if the film performed as strongly as the advance ticket sales and test screenings indicated, it would usher in the age of Marvel superhero movies.

He was confident at this point that the film was guaranteed not to fail; in fact, it was poised to be a blockbuster.

Over the past two weeks, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures had held several screenings of Iron Man, and the response from both the press and the fans had been almost unanimously positive.

As for the critics, who remained as discerning as ever, their opinions could largely be disregarded for a summer blockbuster.

Fueled by strong marketing and glowing early reviews, most North American market research firms were projecting an opening week box office of around eighty million dollars.

This projection was already a stunning success for Marvel, and everyone from Kevin Feige to Stan Lee wore smiles of genuine delight.

Based on all the reactions so far, their gamble on Iron Man was, for all intents and purposes, a resounding success.It was only by being involved in the film that Matthew truly understood how precarious Marvel's financial situation was. Not a single dollar of the one hundred and twenty million invested in Iron Man had come out of Marvel's own pocket.

Marvel simply couldn't afford to divert that much money from its essential operating capital. The one hundred and twenty million dollars had come from a line of credit secured from Merrill Lynch, with the film rights put up as collateral.

If Iron Man failed, Marvel might very well have gone under.

It had to be said, Marvel's leadership certainly had guts.

"When you make a movie, it’s sometimes fun to inject a little mystery into the characters."

As he crossed the red carpet and passed through the press area, Matthew didn't stop, heading straight for the theater entrance. Behind him, he could hear Kevin Feige speaking to reporters. "We didn't just randomly choose the two airplane hangars that Howard Hughes used as studios; when Mr. Stan Lee first created the main character, Tony Stark, his personality was based on Howard. That's why the film's character is a combination of wealth, genius, and fame."

Before Matthew could enter the theater, a member of the production staff stopped him, reminding him that he needed to take photos with the sponsors.

As one of the film's investors and producers, Matthew understood the drill and was happy to oblige. He walked over to the press backdrop and posed for pictures with the sponsors alongside the rest of the cast and crew.

"Hello, Matthew."

Scarlett Johansson, radiant in a short, ruffled white dress, moved to his side. "Long time no see."

Matthew angled himself a little closer to her, smiling for the cameras before whispering, "You look stunning tonight. Absolutely goddess-like."

Scarlett's smile widened. "A goddess? That's no good," she replied playfully. "Goddesses are far too lonely."

Matthew caught her meaning instantly.

"In that case," he murmured, "I'd be happy to be the one to relieve the goddess of her loneliness tonight."

"Alright," Scarlett whispered.

"Wait for me after the premiere."

Matthew's expression remained unchanged for the cameras, but he replied in a low voice, "Alright. My car will be waiting at the back door of the theater."

Hollywood premieres might vary in their specifics, but they all followed a familiar script. After the obligatory group photos for the media, Matthew and Scarlett entered the theater together.

"Hello, Matthew."

Kevin Feige suddenly caught up to them from behind. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Scarlett smiled at both Matthew and Kevin. "I'll head inside first," she said.

With that, she walked on into the main auditorium alone.

Standing in the theater lobby, Matthew asked directly, "What's up, Kevin?"

Kevin nodded. "At this point, it looks like Iron Man is going to be a success, or at the very least, it won't lose money."

He glanced at Matthew. "As you know, Marvel Studios has developed a long-term plan for its films. Now that The Incredible Hulk is also finished, I intend to push forward with several more superhero movies. We had a great collaboration this time, and I hope you'll continue to support Marvel Studios."

Matthew had been investing in one film after another, backing one impressive project after the next, and demonstrating solid financial stability.

Iron Man looked like it would be a success, but it would take a significant amount of time to recoup the investment. Marvel needed to advance its plans now to prove its viability.

Furthermore, the repayment of the Merrill Lynch loan was tied to the returns from both The Incredible Hulk and this film.

Matthew considered this for a moment, then asked, "What superhero movies are you planning to make next?"

According to the supplementary agreement he had signed with Marvel Comics, his company, Thirteen Film Studios, had the right of first refusal to invest in Marvel's film projects, although the window was limited to eight years following the release of Iron Man.

Kevin glanced around, and seeing no one nearby, he lowered his voice.

"The preliminary projects are Iron Man 2, Thor, Ant-Man, Captain America, and Doctor Strange. Of course, we'll probably only make three of the five for now. We have limited funds and not enough manpower to produce too many films at once."

"I enjoyed working with Marvel," Matthew said, making a quick decision. "Can you get me a concrete script or a proposal? I'll read it over and decide."

"Of course," Kevin said pointedly. "But make sure you keep this confidential."

Matthew nodded. "Naturally."

***

After discussing the details for another moment, the two men headed into the screening room together. Matthew's seat was in the second row, and it was only after he found it that he realized the man sitting next to him was Charles Roven.

Matthew looked at Charles with some curiosity. "I didn't expect to see you here, Charles."

"Good evening, Matthew." Charles smiled at him.

"I heard from Christopher Nolan that you won't be producing his new film?" Matthew recalled his last meeting with Nolan at the Warner building. "Are you moving on to another project?"

Charles nodded. "I regret that I won't be able to work with you on it."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Warner Bros. is putting me in charge of a DC Comics superhero film project."

Matthew wondered, "But weren't you already in charge of the Batman film series?"

Charles gestured toward the large screen and said with deliberate calm, "You're a partner of Warner Bros., so I'm not hiding anything from you. The new project I'm responsible for is, in essence, the equivalent of what Iron Man is for Marvel."

The moment he heard that, Matthew understood everything.

Iron Man had already held several test screenings, and during the pre-release marketing, Marvel Studios had strategically leaked information about the Avengers project to build hype. It was only natural that those with their finger on the pulse of the industry—especially DC Comics, Marvel's long-time competitor and collaborator—would react.

Matthew leaned closer, lowered his voice, and asked, "Are Warner Bros. and DC looking at a Justice League?"

Charles chuckled. "That depends on the market's reaction to Iron Man."

Matthew had no trouble understanding his meaning. It wasn't uncommon for Marvel to imitate DC, and for DC to borrow from Marvel in turn.

The main reason Charles was willing to say so much was that both Warner Bros. and DC Comics were interested in casting Matthew as the lead in their Justice League project.

He recalled how Kevin Feige had said in a recent interview that if Iron Man was a success, Warner Bros. would have to pull out all the stops to hire Matthew for the lead role in the DC universe's debut film to maximize its impact and guarantee its success.

He himself was also keenly aware of how crucial the first installment was for this kind of film series.

Given his existing relationship with the studio, Matthew was curious about Warner Bros.'s plans for the Justice League and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "I'm curious, what are the specific plans? Superman? Wonder Woman?"

"Neither," Charles's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "It's the Green Lantern Corps."

Matthew froze for a moment. Charles then added, "Let's find a time to talk about this properly next week, shall we?"

"Alright..." Matthew nodded instinctively. "Of course."

Just then, the large screen lit up, and both men fell silent, turning their attention to the start of Iron Man.

"Tony Stark: visionary, genius, patriot. He began as a prodigy, the son of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark, and quickly captured the world's attention with his brilliant talents."

The film opens with an outside perspective on the kind of man Tony Stark is, told from the point of view of his friend, Rhodes.

"As the military liaison to Stark Industries, I've had the honor of working with this true patriot. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce this year's recipient of the annual Capstone Award, Mr. Tony Stark."

"Please welcome Tony Stark!"