"Matthew, let me introduce you," Rachel McAdams began as she gestured to the man in his thirties sitting next to her in the booth. "This is Kevin Feige."
Kevin Feige extended his right hand toward Matthew. "Just call me Kevin."
Matthew shook his hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Kevin." He added with a smile, "You can call me Matthew."
Kevin Feige motioned for Matthew to take a seat. "Please, have a seat, Matthew."
Rachel, being particularly attentive, pulled out the chair for Matthew. As he sat down, he quietly observed Kevin Feige.
This middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline and an unremarkable appearance seemed vaguely familiar to Matthew. Was it possible he had heard this name, Kevin Feige, somewhere before? Maybe from entertainment gossip on the internet back across the Pacific? Matthew couldn't be sure. After all, in Hollywood, the names that stuck in his mind were either the stars on the screen or the super directors like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg.
Yesterday, Rachel had mentioned that Kevin Feige was a producer. Typically, no one paid much attention to producers unless they were deeply invested in the industry.
"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time," Kevin said cordially. "But the opportunity never presented itself."
Matthew smiled politely. "Isn't this a perfect opportunity now?"
Kevin returned the smile. "Yes, it is. A very good one."
Given the difficult situation his company was in and the numerous times their projects had almost fallen through, he was placing a lot of hope on this meeting.
Sure, Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise were big names too, but the former had been on a string of bad luck recently, and any association with him might drag the project down. The latter demanded astronomical pay that was simply unaffordable.
In comparison, Matthew Horner seemed the most suitable.
He exchanged a look with Rachel, who, understanding the cue, stood up and said, "I'll leave you two to chat. I'll go grab some desserts."
With that, she walked away briskly.
Kevin Feige got straight to the point as soon as Rachel left. "I assume Rachel mentioned that I have a project in need of a leading man?"
Matthew didn't respond to Kevin's statement. Instead, he asked, "Which film company are you representing?"
"Marvel Entertainment," Kevin replied directly.
"Marvel Entertainment?" Matthew's thoughts raced.
He recalled snippets from various Marvel films—the silly dance-off to defeat a villain, the childlike bickering at the airport, the verbose bosses, and the family-friendly tone that the franchise had developed.
"Yes, Marvel Entertainment," Kevin affirmed. "Marvel is looking to venture into film production. I am one of the producers on the first movie Marvel will independently produce."
Matthew had seen many Marvel superhero movies. Up until the first "Avengers" film, they had been quite enjoyable. However, the subsequent films seemed less appealing to adults and more geared towards younger audiences, practically turning into children's movies.
Considering the Disney castle intro before each Marvel film, it wasn't surprising that Marvel, being under Disney's umbrella, would take on a more family-friendly approach.
Even the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series was leaning towards being more kid-friendly.
Given the timeline, what Marvel superhero movie was first on the docket? Matthew recalled that the earliest were "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk."
Could it be "Iron Man"?
Matthew probed cautiously, "Which superhero's film are you planning to make?"
Kevin Feige didn't hesitate. "Iron Man, Tony Stark."
Matthew nodded slightly. It was indeed about Iron Man.
"This film has been in development for several years," Kevin continued, noticing Matthew's contemplative look. "We aim to start filming by March next year at the latest and plan to release it in the summer of 2008. We are very interested in having you play Tony Stark."
Tony Stark was undoubtedly a captivating superhero. If this opportunity had come two or three years earlier, Matthew might have taken it. But now, he was not inclined.
Initially, Matthew thought Rachel would bring him an intriguing film offer. He never expected her to be involved with Marvel.
This meeting was turning out to be a disappointment.
"Sorry, Kevin," Matthew didn't want to waste their time. He stated firmly, "I'm not interested in playing a superhero."
Starring in a superhero film often led to typecasting, or at the very least, it had significant adverse effects on pursuing other types of roles. Successful superhero movies almost always had this consequence.
As for failed superhero movies, just look at how George Clooney struggled after the failure of his Batman film, or how Ben Affleck still hadn't fully recovered...
The risk of a failed superhero movie was enormous. Even a successful one wouldn't necessarily provide more benefits to an A-list star like him compared to other genres.
If he played Tony Stark and the film was a huge hit, he would likely be pigeonholed as Iron Man, making it harder to land roles in other major productions.
Given similar rewards, why choose the one with higher risks?
Currently, he had massive box office appeal as a leading star and the potential to reach the ranks of a super-star. He wasn't a newcomer or an actor with no other options.
Even if "Iron Man" turned out to be a massive success as it had been before, leading to the formation of the Avengers, he would still be tied down as a Marvel star, confined to the future trajectory of the franchise, which he wasn't interested in.
Besides, he didn't have much regard for artsy films or convoluted plots, but the prospect of dance-offs to defeat villains didn't appeal to him either.
After seeing the infamous dance-off in "Guardians of the Galaxy," his interest in Marvel movies plummeted. And after the airport fight and the internal Avengers conflict, he lost all desire to watch Marvel superhero movies.
Kevin Feige hadn't anticipated such a firm rejection from Matthew. He thought that with Rachel McAdams facilitating the introduction, they could have an in-depth conversation before dealing with the tough negotiations with Matthew's agent.
Matthew had previously discussed with Helen Herman the prospects of superhero films. Given the immense popularity of past superhero movies, Helen had advised against them due to the potential for typecasting and other career drawbacks. Matthew had experienced firsthand the Hollywood dynamics over the past few years, making him disinterested in playing a superhero.
If he were in a situation similar to Robert Downey Jr.'s current standing or even Nicolas Cage's, taking on "Iron Man" could be more beneficial than detrimental.
But given his current status, he didn't need "Iron Man."
Though he was primarily a star of commercial films, he maintained a high level of prestige. Starring in a superhero movie would significantly lower that.
For a major star, prestige was directly linked to income.
The potential high earnings from a superhero movie could be matched by other films. If his prestige dropped, securing top-tier commercial endorsements would be challenging.
The risk-reward ratio just didn't add up.
Unless the reward was overwhelmingly in his favor...
As Matthew pondered, Kevin Feige pressed on. "Don't be so quick to refuse," he urged, pulling out a document from his briefcase and placing it in front of Matthew. "This film has a budget of $140 million and will be directed by Jon Favreau. If all goes well, your friend Rachel McAdams will be the female lead."
These terms were not compelling enough for Matthew, and he was about to excuse himself.
Kevin continued, "Matthew, Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise have both expressed interest in the role of Tony Stark..."
Matthew sighed inwardly. Kevin was leveraging the names of Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise to elevate the perceived value of the film and the role of Iron Man.
Whether Cage and Cruise were genuinely interested was another story.
"But Marvel has turned them down for now," Kevin added, his tone earnest. "Tony Stark is wealthy, charming, witty, and charismatic. To resonate with the younger audience, only you can bring that to life."
Despite the sincerity in Kevin's words, Matthew sensed that Marvel's financial situation and potential cost-saving strategies were at play. Or perhaps Kevin was saving the financial details for discussions with his agent. Either way, he hadn't mentioned the most crucial aspect—compensation.
As Kevin continued to speak, Matthew raised his hand to halt him. "Kevin, I've read the Iron Man comics and understand the character."
"That's fantastic!" Kevin seized the opportunity. "A fan of Iron Man playing the role..."
"Kevin!" Matthew interrupted again, deciding to be direct. "What kind of compensation is Marvel Entertainment prepared to offer?"
Asking this directly felt a bit awkward, but since it was just the two of them and Matthew had grown accustomed to the straightforward nature of Western negotiations, he didn't hesitate.
If Marvel offered $20 million upfront plus $20 million in backend points, then the risk-reward ratio might justify considering the role. At worst, he could play Tony Stark, reap a substantial payday, and leave Marvel before being too deeply associated with the character.
Several million dollars in earnings could temporarily offset his discomfort with the dance-off scenes.
In the end, while the movie itself didn't captivate him, the potential financial gain certainly did.
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