Bab 52: Chapter 51
Unlike in the previous timeline where Disney spent a fortune and faced numerous struggles to acquire Marvel, Xu Can felt that his acquisition of Marvel went surprisingly smoothly.
Thankfully, I completed the acquisition with lightning speed before the filming of Iron Man. Otherwise, after the movie's release, even $2 billion wouldn't have been enough to secure it.
At the signing ceremony finalizing the acquisition, Perlmutter, Marvel's former chairman, offered a piece of unsolicited advice, saying, "Let me give you some advice, Mr. Xu. They say you're a gambler and that you've won many times, but if you gamble long enough, you'll eventually lose."
On the surface, it seemed like Perlmutter was looking out for Xu Can, but the underlying arrogance of an old white man was unmistakable.
Xu Can had just finalized the acquisition and, rather than being angry, looked at Perlmutter with a smile. It was Perlmutter's loss for not having faith in Robert Downey Jr. and the Marvel Cinematic Universe he was planning.
"Mr. Perlmutter, we could have had a great outcome. Marvel could have become a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood… It's a pity you gave up too soon."
"Huh? Is that a joke? Are you kidding me? Since you're so insistent, I'd love to see you go bankrupt and liquidate."
Perlmutter finished his snide remarks and left the scene with other former Marvel board members, as if they had escaped a sinking ship, leaving the mess to an inexperienced boy.
"Hahaha, he took out a loan of over $700 million. I have no idea what he's thinking…"
As the arrogant laughter faded, Xu Can watched these old stubborn men leave, seeing them as nothing more than clowns.
In a previous life, these people nearly ruined Marvel.
First, the high-ranking Perlmutter and Kevin Feige didn't get along, leading to near-catastrophic layoffs that could have ruined the MCU.
Later, as the MCU grew in popularity, Perlmutter established the "Marvel Creative Committee" with comics editors, publishing department directors, and others. For example, in Captain America: Civil War, the Russo brothers' original ending, where Captain America and Iron Man have a falling out, was intriguing, but Perlmutter and others wanted to intervene, forcing a traditional Hollywood happy ending where Captain America and Iron Man reconcile and defeat the villain together.
Had this change been made, Captain America 3 would have been reduced from a great movie to a mere popcorn flick.
But that's Perlmutter for you.
Thankfully, Xu Can bought him out for $700 million, and he left Marvel for good.
Now, Marvel Entertainment's ownership has completely changed to Xu Can.
"Xu, should I start calling you boss now?"
In the chairman's office, Xu Can ordered his subordinates to clear out all remnants of his predecessor's office supplies and replace them with his own.
Kevin Feige stood at the door, arms crossed, smiling.
"Yes, I'm your boss now, Kevin. Remember to show respect from now on."
"Ah?" Kevin Feige was a little flustered.
"Just kidding. Let's get down to business. How are the preparations for Iron Man? We need to start shooting as soon as possible."
"No problem. In fact, I've been preparing all along. The casting we planned before is finalized, and we can start shooting next week."
"OK, let's get to it!"
...
The news of Warner and Marvel's latest moves created a buzz in Hollywood.
Has the golden age of comic book movies finally arrived?
Several live-action movies were set to be released within two years. Since the success of Spider-Man, it seemed that other superheroes were destined for the big screen.
However, some media outlets remained skeptical about the genre.
"The success of Spider-Man was too coincidental. Whether it was Xu Can's superb acting or the bold use of first-person shots, it's hard to replicate that perfectly. If not careful, it's easy to make a comic book movie feel awkward. The failure of the Batman series is still fresh in our minds, and now Iron Man is casting an ex-con who's been arrested three times. From an outsider's perspective, the future of DC and Marvel seems bleak."
Soon, as summer blockbusters like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Transformers were released, media attention was diverted elsewhere, allowing Xu Can to keep a low profile during filming.
"Cut! Robert, your performance is still too stiff; you're trying too hard," Xu Can remarked on set.
Xu Can and the Iron Man crew had been filming for some time, and he was initially surprised to discover that Marvel had its own studio, which had previously been underutilized.
Robert Downey Jr. had completely stopped using drugs and was looking healthier, but his performance still felt off and unnatural.
"Sorry, Xu. Maybe it's because I haven't acted in a while, and I can't quite find the rhythm," Robert Downey Jr. apologized. His stiffness in the scene opposite Pepper Potts had thrown him off.
Pepper Potts was still played by Gwyneth Paltrow. After much deliberation, Xu Can decided to keep the original casting to avoid unpredictable ripple effects.
As for Colonel Rhodes, Xu Can directly cast Don Cheadle, who appeared in Iron Man 2, instead of Terrence Howard from Iron Man 1. Though Terrence Howard hadn't starred in any blockbusters, he had won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2004 for Crash, boosting his salary to $4.5 million, which was more than the lead actor of Iron Man was paid. The cost-effectiveness wasn't worth it.
Moreover, Don Cheadle's later portrayal of Colonel Rhodes was excellent; his serious demeanor and witty complaints resonated well with the audience.
Everyone else's performances were professional, except for the most important character—Robert Downey Jr.—where things were not going smoothly.
"Take a 5-minute break, Robert, and try to get into the right mindset."
"No problem, by the way, Xu…" Robert Downey Jr. suddenly turned around halfway and said, "Does the crew have a cheeseburger? I'm craving one."
"Vanessa, ask someone to get him a burger," Xu Can instructed, feeling a headache coming on. Robert Downey Jr. had caused him quite a few issues.
Privately, some crew members grumbled about him being an "asshole." Yes, he was indeed difficult at times, but Downey often joked around, treated the crew to meals, and bought coffee for everyone, so they didn't really hate him.
Suddenly, Xu Can had an epiphany!
…
The original director and screenwriter of Iron Man, Jon Favreau, couldn't direct the film due to scheduling conflicts. To ensure the deadline was met and the film's quality remained high, Xu Can had to step in as director himself.
This was his first time directing a film independently.
Compared to his previous co-directing experiences, the challenges he faced this time were on a whole new level!
So much so that during the early stages of filming, the production was delayed significantly.
Until just now, when he had a sudden burst of inspiration!
It felt like a higher power had enlightened him, giving him a deep understanding of character direction, camera work, on-set coordination, and control!
Where once there was confusion, Xu Can now saw everything with clarity. Every detail was crystal clear!
Like Mikasa from Attack on Titan suddenly awakening to her full potential, Xu Can had mastered all the skills of a director in that moment!
God-level director, awakened!
…
"Robert, try completely forgetting about acting and character development. You are Stark. Tony Stark is you."
"What?"
"Feel free to react naturally to the lines. You can improvise or change the dialogue if needed."
"Really? Xu, isn't that a bit too much?"
"If you don't push the limits, you won't be Tony Stark. Don't worry, I'll handle the rest."
Robert Downey Jr. had his doubts, but since Xu Can was not only the director but also the producer and chairman of the company, he had the freedom to invest $100 million just for fun.
With that in mind, Robert Downey Jr. decided to fully embrace the role.
"Scene 4, Take 3, Shot 7! Action!"
In the underground garage, Tony Stark tinkers with a sleek classic car.
Pepper Potts approaches to report on his schedule.
"Why are you always in such a hurry to get rid of me?"
"Your plane was supposed to take off an hour and a half ago…"
"The funny thing is, it's my plane. Shouldn't I decide when it takes off?"
"Tony, there are a few more things you need to decide before you really have to catch that plane."
"What's the point of buying a private jet if it takes off without me?"
"Why are you always trying to get rid of me? Do you have plans?"
"I do, actually."
"I don't like your plans…"
The camera followed Robert Downey Jr.'s movements without any cuts.
Xu Can didn't call out to stop; the camera kept rolling.
In this nearly one-minute take, Robert Downey Jr. perfectly captured the essence of an arrogant billionaire playboy.
The rest of the crew couldn't help but be surprised by the transformation.
Xu Can had only talked to Robert briefly, yet the change was so profound.
"Cut!"
Xu Can finally called out, and Gwyneth and Downey looked at him nervously.
They had filmed this scene many times and feared another retake.
"Perfect! Great job. Let's move on to the next one!"
Robert Downey Jr. breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Xu Can.
This guy…
He's the real deal!
…
Iron Man was finished ahead of schedule!
Now, Xu Can had more time to spend with his fiancée.
Since time was limited, they took a brief vacation to the beach to enjoy the sunshine and nature.
Xu Can felt that he had become more optimistic.
There was nothing better in life than that.
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