Chapter 40

Outside Warner Studios, the Nolan brothers and Christian Bale smoked in silence.

"Jonathan, what do you think?" Nolan asked his brother with a frown.

"I... I've never seen an actor like this. Jesus Christ, no wonder he proposed to play the Joker. He's practically the Joker himself, right?"

Jonathan Nolan's tone betrayed a hint of panic.

"Honestly, just reading the script with him gave me goosebumps. I was afraid he'd pull out a revolver and shoot me."

Christian Bale was equally unnerved.

"I've played a psycho in American Psycho, and my mental state wasn't as concerning as Xu Can's."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

A bright voice called out from behind, startling the three men.

"Nothing, just having a smoke."

Xu Can appeared as normal as ever, his eyes clear and full of warmth.

The California sun blazed down as usual, but Nolan, despite standing in the sunshine, felt a sudden chill when facing Xu Can.

The good news was that Xu Can could immerse himself in the character during script readings. Xu Can's Joker was going to be remarkable!

In Nolan's view, if Xu Can maintained this state, he could certainly surpass Jack Nicholson's Joker and create an iconic, unforgettable version of the character.

As media and internet discussions swirled around Xu Can's casting as the Joker, The Dark Knight officially began filming.

The cast was impressive: Christian Bale as Batman, Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. New and seasoned actors alike gathered at the New York studio, forming a stellar lineup.

The film opened with a solo scene featuring the Joker. Despite it being Xu Can's solo performance, other actors eagerly crowded the set, curious to see him in action.

"Why is everyone here? Are you all trying to pressure me?" Xu Can joked.

"No, no," Gary Oldman replied with a grin. "We heard you were a bit scary during the script reading. Everyone's just curious about your performance."

"Oh, is that so…"

As Xu Can donned his Joker makeup and purple suit, he suddenly grinned wickedly at Gary Oldman and said, "Now I'm off to rob a bank. Are you going to arrest me, Commissioner Gordon?"

"Jesus!" Gary Oldman's heart raced as a wave of unease washed over him. He didn't know what this "madman" in front of him might do next!

"Hey, Gary, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

Xu Can, still in Joker makeup, then flashed an innocent smile reminiscent of Peter Parker.

"You really scared me there, kid," Gary Oldman said, giving a thumbs up. "It looks like old guys like me are about to be replaced."

Oldman, an "actor with a thousand faces" known for creating vastly different characters, was genuinely impressed. He knew how challenging it was for actors to quickly inhabit new roles, especially those requiring entirely different approaches to acting. Most young actors struggled with this, often playing the same type of character repeatedly.

But Xu Can's ability to switch personas in just a second? Even Gary Oldman couldn't manage that feat.

As The Dark Knight filming progressed, days flew by in a blur.

Not only was Xu Can busy, but the two women he was closest to were also occupied with their own careers.

Thankfully, the love triangle Xu Can feared never materialized.

Swift was hard at work on her new album, with many songs already recorded.

"Xu, my new song demo is ready. Want to listen to it?"

"Oh? What song is it?"

"I'll sing it with guitar accompaniment. Give me a sec to grab my guitar."

Xu Can had just wrapped filming for the day and was resting in his hotel room when Taylor Swift called him.

The video call connected, and Swift appeared on the screen, looking every bit like an excited little girl as she hurried to grab her guitar.

As soon as she picked up the instrument, her whole demeanor changed, and she became completely absorbed in the music.

Accompanying herself with a light, country-style melody, Swift began to sing softly:

"When I first saw you, I was so young; I closed my eyes and imagined that moment in my mind. Lights flickered around us at the party, people dressed up; I saw you walking through the crowd, saying hello."

Xu Can felt a sudden jolt of recognition.

He'd heard this song countless times in his previous life, but he never imagined that Swift's lyrics would describe their actual first meeting!

At that Sony party, Xu Can had indeed walked through the crowd to find Swift on the edge of it all.

"You're Romeo, throwing pebbles at my window; Romeo, take me away to our own world. I'll wait for you, and we'll run away together. We'll be like a prince and princess. This is our love story, darling, just say yes."

When the song ended, Swift put down her guitar and gazed at the camera, as if trying to peer directly into Xu Can's soul.

"So, what do you think? Do you like my song?"

"It's amazing! I love it!"

"You're not just saying that, are you?"

"Of course not! I could listen to this song for the next 10 years and never get tired of it!"

Xu Can meant every word. He'd listened to this song for over 15 years in his past life, and it was still playing in his head in 2023.

Swift was delighted by his response, her smile tinged with a hint of shyness.

"So, do you know… what this song is really about?"

"I'm not sure."

Xu Can initially thought the song was written for him, but then reconsidered. In his previous life, Love Story had been inspired by a boy Swift knew during her school days. Maybe he was reading too much into it.

"If you want to know, how about I tell you the next time we meet? You still owe me a date!"

Taylor Swift teased, her eyes serious despite the playful tone.

Why was she so intent on the meaning of the song? Xu Can didn't know. But he figured he'd find out the next time they met.

"Actually, you owe me a date."

Both of them had been so busy with work that they hadn't had time to go out together.

After saying goodnight to Swift, Xu Can barely had time to close his laptop before his phone rang again.

"Baby, I miss you."

Emma Stone's sweet voice greeted him. Xu Can was always surprised at how different she was off set—where was the tough, no-nonsense woman who could down a glass of rum without flinching? She had completely transformed into a clingy, affectionate girlfriend.

"Baby, I miss you too."

"You don't mean that! You haven't called me in three whole days."

"Three days? I lost track of time while filming."

"Forget it. I'm just happy you didn't hang up on me."

Her gentle tone made Xu Can feel a twinge of guilt.

He hadn't meant to neglect her; he'd just been so busy with filming, discussing the plot with the Nolan brothers, overseeing Swift's album progress, promoting John Wick, and juggling Marvel scripts.

"I'm starting a new movie soon. It's called Zombieland. You're sure it's a good project, right?"

"Of course! You showed me the script last time. It'll be a hit, with at least a $100 million box office."

Sony Pictures had fast-tracked a low-budget zombie movie to capitalize on Emma Stone's rising popularity. She would star alongside Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg.

Zombieland had been a success in Xu Can's past life, both critically and commercially, so it seemed like a solid choice.

"Also, the premiere of Twilight is set for early May. Will you come with me?"

"Of course, I'll be there… Wait! Early May?"

Xu Can suddenly remembered.

Wasn't John Wick scheduled to compete with Twilight?

Twilight was a global phenomenon, a box-office juggernaut that took the world by storm in over 100 countries.

This was going to be interesting!

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