Entertainment:Playing Spiderman, Standing UpsideDown And Kissing Swift

Kevin Feige, one of the masterminds behind the future Marvel Cinematic Universe, had already begun to leave his mark on Hollywood. But compared to the post-2012 dominance of Marvel, things were far from easy in 2006.

Back in 1996, Marvel had spiraled into debt, racking up $700 million due to poor management. The company was on the brink of collapse, forced to sell off its most valuable assets just to stay afloat.

Almost every hero IP had been sold. X-Men went to Fox, Iron Man to New Line, while Spider-Man and Thor were handed over to Sony.

Ike Perlmutter, Marvel's chairman at the time, remained stubbornly opposed to superhero films, viewing them as too risky. He even went so far as to slash Stan Lee's salary in half.

The idea for an Avengers film had already been suggested internally, but Ike shot it down without a second thought.

At this point, Kevin Feige was just Avi Arad's assistant, learning the ropes.

That same year, Avi Arad launched his own production company, leaving Kevin to step into the role of president of Marvel Studios, responsible for pushing the Marvel film slate forward. But Marvel Studios was struggling to survive, and Feige's position felt precarious.

On the set of Spider-Man, Feige's main task was to keep the director and screenwriter from ruining the character's legacy. Beyond that, he had little influence.

Feige and Xu Can had crossed paths briefly on Spider-Man, discussing creative ideas, but they hadn't formed a strong connection. In fact, Feige didn't even have Xu's contact details.

This time, however, Xu Can took the initiative to visit Marvel Studios, marking his first step into the struggling company's headquarters.

"Xu. You're here. I was actually planning to swing by your place later," Kevin Feige greeted him warmly at the door.

"I had dinner with Mr. Stringer, and since I was close by, I figured I'd drop in for a quick chat." Xu Can smiled, his eyes discreetly scanning the office as they walked in.

Marvel Studios was clearly in dire straits. The office looked worn and outdated, with furniture that had clearly seen better days.

Everything about the place screamed "on the verge of bankruptcy."

By comparison, Xu's newly established Galaxy Pictures had far more modern and impressive offices.

Kevin Feige noticed the subtle shift in Xu's expression and gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah... This is where we're stuck for now. Rent is too high elsewhere... But with the success of Spider-Man and its sequel, we're hoping to improve things soon. Let's head to my office."

Inside Feige's modest office, Xu Can casually settled onto the sofa as if he'd been there a hundred times before.

"Now, about the Spider-Man sequel—" Feige began, but Xu Can raised a hand to stop him.

"Hold on, Kevin. We can talk about Spider-Man later. There's something else I want to discuss today."

Feige blinked in surprise, his curiosity piqued. "Something else? What's on your mind, Xu?"

Xu Can leaned forward, a small smile playing on his lips. "Are you ready to take out a loan and make your own superhero movie?"

Feige stared at him, his shock evident. "How did you... Yes, but how on earth did you know that? We've only just started planning it."

Feige had been hoping to ride the wave of Spider-Man's success. It had revived Marvel from the brink, and he was currently exploring the idea of taking out a massive loan to fund a new superhero film.

But no one was supposed to know about it. Even the press hadn't caught wind of it yet.

And then Xu Can delivered the next bombshell with eerie accuracy.

"Let me guess... the movie you're planning is Iron Man, right?"

Feige's eyes widened in astonishment. "Holy—. Xu, are you reading my mind? This morning, I decided that Iron Man would be the best bet."

Due to shifts in the timeline, Iron Man—originally set to launch in 2008—hadn't even been greenlit yet. Marvel's most popular IPs were still scattered across other studios, leaving them with scraps.

And now this young man, out of nowhere, seemed to know exactly what Feige was planning.

"I'm a huge Marvel fan, Kevin. I've always loved the characters, which is why I jumped at the chance to be involved in Spider-Man. But I'm also interested in helping develop some of your other IPs... like Iron Man."

Feige stared, speechless, as Xu Can continued.

"I know you want more than just a single movie. You're thinking bigger... something like the Avengers, right? A cinematic universe where all the superheroes are connected."

Xu Can's words hit Feige like a ton of bricks. It was as if someone had reached inside his mind and pulled out his deepest ambitions.

"Xu, that's exactly what I want to do." Feige exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.

After a long conversation that felt more like a brainstorming session, Feige could barely contain his enthusiasm. By the end, he saw Xu Can as a valuable partner in making the MCU a reality.

They struck an agreement: Xu Can would come on board as the chief consultant for the MCU, working alongside Feige on Marvel's film projects.

Moreover, Xu Can promised to invest the profits from his next movie to help fund Iron Man.

Feige, who had been prepared to take out a $50 million loan to make Iron Man, now felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders.

With Xu Can's help, this felt like a sure bet.

If they could replicate the magic of Spider-Man, Iron Man would be a hit. Feige knew the MCU was about to take flight.

The global box office for Spider-Man had already surpassed $800 million, and it was only a matter of time before it crossed the billion-dollar mark.

Later that day, Xu Can drove his sleek, silver Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren back to his own company, Galaxy Pictures.

The gull-wing door lifted upward, and Xu Can stepped out, his sunglasses reflecting the afternoon sun. His confident stride turned heads as he entered the office.

The staff, both awe-struck and amused, watched their boss make a grand entrance. The blonde receptionist nearly melted on the spot.

Happy, Xu Can's manager, hurried over, wide-eyed.

"Wow, Xu, you finally bought yourself a ride. How much did that beauty set you back?"

"Only $450,000. Park it for me, would you? I've got a meeting to get to," Xu replied, tossing the keys to Happy.

"Sure thing, but remember, I'm not your valet," Happy grumbled, though a grin spread across his face as he made a beeline for the driver's seat, eager to take the car for a spin before parking it.

Meanwhile, inside the Galaxy Pictures conference room, the creative team for John Wick was wrapping up their final preparations.

The movie was set to begin filming, with a planned release on Easter 2007.

Across town at Time Warner headquarters, CEO Dick Parsons slouched in his chair, deflated by the news.

They had hoped that Superman Returns would compete directly with Spider-Man, but the reality was far bleeker. With Spider-Man surpassing $1 billion at the box office, Superman Returns had barely scraped together $300 million—a colossal failure.

"We can't let Superman fail like this," Parsons muttered. "Maybe we need to reboot Batman. The superhero wave has begun, and we need to capitalize on it. DC's IPs are too valuable to waste."

Producer Charles Roven leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "I've got a plan. We'll hire a top-tier director to reboot Batman. Ground it in reality, make it dark, gritty, and explore deeper themes. We can bring in a star actor to carry the role."

Parsons raised an eyebrow. "Who's your pick for the director? And what actor are you thinking?"

Roven didn't hesitate. "Christopher Nolan. His film The Prestige has been getting rave reviews. As for the actor..."

A smile spread across his face as he concluded, "If you can't beat them, join them. Let's get Xu Can to play Batman. He's already conquered Spider-Man. He'll do wonders with Batman."

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