Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm Chapter 624 - 621

"Martin, we just received a letter from Marvel Studios. They're inviting you to direct and write Iron Man. What do you think?"

"Drew, schedule a eting with them. Before I leave New York, find a ti for an interview as soon as possible."

"Got it, I'll call them right away."

...

New York

"Martin, have you tried the coffee here? It's fantastic. They roast the beans in-house using a special thod, and each cup has its own unique aroma."

At the café, Avi Arad sat across from Martin, enthusiastically recomnding the coffee. He was clearly a fan.

Martin wasn't a coffee addict, but he casually ordered a cup anyway, then smiled and said, "Avi, let's get down to business."

Avi took a slow, satisfied sip, clearly savoring the mont.

Martin didn't rush him. He simply waited, smiling.

Little fox.

Old fox.

Finally, Avi spoke. "Martin, have you seen the job offer Marvel sent over for Iron Man? Got any thoughts?"

Martin nodded. "I've read it. I'm grateful to Marvel for trusting , and I'm happy to take on both directing and screenwriting. However, I do have one small request—"

"What is it?" Avi asked.

"yers Pictures would like to co-invest in the film."

"We're not short on funds," Avi replied politely but firmly.

Martin smiled. "Maybe not, but you're short on guarantees."

Avi blinked. "Guarantees?"

"A guarantee that this film will be a success."

As he spoke, Martin reached into the bag beside his chair and pulled out a stack of docunts, handing them to Avi. "Here's a breakdown of all the films yers Pictures has invested in over the years. Take a look."

Avi flipped through the pages. His expression gradually shifted—from mild interest to growing surprise.

The numbers spoke for themselves. Since its inception, yers Pictures hadn't produced a single flop. Every title had been a success.

The glowing box office figures made his heart race.

This wasn't just any film for Marvel Studios. Spider-Man, X-n, and Hulk had all been licensed out to other studios. Iron Man was their first major in-house production—the cornerstone of Marvel Studios' future.

Failure was not an option.

Avi had fought tooth and nail to reclaim Marvel's scattered character rights and set up the studio. The pressure was enormous.

If Iron Man succeeded, it would unlock a new era of superhero films. If it flopped, Marvel Studios might crumble before it ever got off the ground—and Avi's own career path would be wrecked.

He was 58, but his entrepreneurial drive hadn't faded. He'd poured in ti, energy, and political capital to bring Marvel Studios to life.

Now, the track record of yers Pictures looked like sothing out of a fantasy. Nearly ten years without a single failure?

It wasn't just about ability—it was starting to feel like taphysics.

And if there's one thing Hollywood is superstitious about... it's luck.

If bringing yers Pictures on board ant tipping the scales toward success, then maybe giving up a slice of the pie wasn't so bad.

Just then, Avi's phone rang.

"Sorry," he said. "Let take this."

"Go ahead," Martin said.

Avi stepped outside to answer.

"Hello? Stan? What's up?"

"How's the eting going?"

"Martin agreed. He's willing to take on Iron Man."

"Fantastic!"

Stan Lee's voice crackled with excitent. The legendary creator had long supported the idea of Martin directing.

"But," Avi continued, "he's got one condition."

"What is it?"

"yers Pictures wants to co-invest."

On the other end, Stan didn't hesitate. "Give it to him."

Avi was a little taken aback by his old friend's decisiveness. "You don't even want to think it over?"

"What's there to think about? He's helping ease our financial burden. Plus, Martin's got way more clout in Hollywood than we do. We'll probably need his connections for distribution. He's still a director at Disney and Warner, after all. And if he's investing his own money, that ans he'll be fully committed. How is this a loss for us?"

"Well... if the movie becos a hit, he'll be entitled to a good chunk of the profits."

Stan laughed. "If it's a hit. And if it is, we'll make a killing on rchandise alone. That's where the real money is. Wait—he's not asking for a cut of the rchandise, is he?"

"I haven't gotten into those details yet."

"Then make sure of that. As long as rchandise rights stay with us, I don't care how much he takes from the box office."

...

Avi returned to the table, composed and smiling.

Martin could tell his stance had softened—and he pressed his advantage without hesitation.

Eventually, a deal was struck: yers Pictures and Marvel Studios would each provide half the funding. However, Martin's director and screenwriter fees would be rolled into the investnt, giving yers Pictures a 58% stake. They would also receive a share of video sales, but all rchandise rights would stay with Marvel.

Everyone walked away satisfied.

Soon after, news broke that Martin yers would be directing Iron Man.

Clearly, Marvel was using the announcent to build hype.

Martin's na alone was enough to ignite the dia. A single rumor triggered a wildfire of speculation online.

"What?! Martin's directing Iron Man?"

"Wait, Martin's starring in Iron Man?"

"Hold on, is Martin going to beco Iron Man?"

"No way—Martin built the Iron Man suit himself?!"

"Martin wore a tal suit and went to fight in Afghanistan?!"

"Martin wiped out the Afghan rebels?!"

"What...?!"

At yers Pictures, laughter echoed from Martin's office.

Ivanka's voice rang out playfully. "So, how'd I do?"

Martin chuckled. "Brilliantly, my little cutie. Looks like handing PR over to you was the right move."

"Of course!"

"I think you deserve a reward."

"What kind of reward—mmph, ah, mm—"

A strange sound followed.