Chapter 61 The VFX Master—Mysterio!

The next day, Anton flew to Hollywood, where the Cyborg production officially began.

In Anton's previous life, the Cyborg movie was endlessly delayed, and the storyline remained a mystery. But armed with his understanding of DC and thorough discussions with Browning, they had finalized the script.

The plot was straightforward: gain powers, discover a crisis, and resolve it.

It was the typical superhero formula, akin to an action-packed page-turner.

The only difference lay in the audience's medium of consumption—either laughing at their phone screen on a couch or enjoying the spectacle in a theater with popcorn and soda.

In this world, superhero films were still a fresh concept. Anton was confident he could deliver a hit.

If a comparison was to be made, Cyborg was analogous to Iron Man 1 from his previous life—a movie with a $140 million budget and a 105-day shooting schedule.

Similarly, Anton had allocated $140 million and aimed to complete the shoot in 90 days. He planned to have the VFX team work in tandem, so the film could release within two months post-production. From start to finish, the entire project was slated for just four months—a tight timeline for a superhero film with heavy visual effects.

However, the advanced technology in this world made such goals feasible. Anton also had his eyes on a particularly talented individual.

If he could bring this person and their team on board, the visual effects would be flawless.

As filming began, the lead actor—a young African-American—delivered a powerful and engaging performance.

Casting a Black lead was another reason Anton was confident Cyborg would at least break even.

In his previous life, Black Panther, with its African-American lead, resonated deeply with the Black community in the U.S., sparking a cultural phenomenon. Its domestic box office earnings reached $700 million, with a global total of $1.346 billion—an astronomical return on investment.

Although Black Panther existed in this world, no major superhero films with Black leads had been produced yet. This made Cyborg a groundbreaking opportunity.

As long as the film delivered in quality and was marketed well, it would undoubtedly resonate with the Black community. Additionally, it would accelerate the growth of Cyborg's fan base, potentially surpassing 20 million fans much faster than Batman.

One Month Later

The Hollywood scenes and exterior shots were completed.

Anton then split the production team. He returned to New York with the lead actor and other key cast members to shoot the pivotal scenes where Victor Stone transforms into Cyborg at the Red Room Laboratory.

The remaining crew focused on filming minor scenes and advancing the visual effects work.

Without a reference film, Anton couldn't provide the VFX team with creative direction, leaving them to labor tirelessly. Fortunately, the generous paychecks kept morale high.

For the laboratory scenes, Anton secured permission to use Oscorp's cutting-edge facilities.

Given his friendly relations with Oscorp—and the fact that Harry Osborn was an investor in the film—it wasn't difficult to gain access. After signing an agreement outlining terms such as daily filming hours, no disruption of ongoing experiments, and assurances against damage to sensitive equipment, Anton led his crew into Oscorp's lab for a two-week shoot.

Coincidentally, Anton discovered that the lab they occupied was directly above the Limb Regeneration Research department.

And who did he find working there? None other than Peter Parker, serving as Dr. Curt Connors' assistant.

During a break in shooting, Peter learned that the team filming Batman's follow-up project was upstairs. Excited, he came to observe, only returning to his work after much urging from Dr. Connors.

While Anton was aware of what the future held for Connors, his priority was the movie. Besides, Connors had yet to transform into the Lizard.

Even knowing the potential outcome, it was impractical for Anton to babysit Connors or preemptively don a Batman suit to knock out the professor and lock him in a cell with Kingpin for life.

Connors hadn't committed any crimes yet, so such actions would be irrational.

As long as Connors stayed out of Anton way during the shoot, Anton was content to let Peter handle the situation in the future.

Enter Quentin Beck

After wrapping up for the day, Anton returned to DC nearby office, where he finally met the visual effects master he had been waiting for.

"Mr. Beck, it's a pleasure to meet you," Anton greeted the man, who appeared to be in his 30s. "I admire your work in visual effects, especially your research into holographic systems. It's revolutionary—a breakthrough with limitless applications that could redefine entertainment and daily life."

"Do you really think so, Mr. Anton?" Quentin Beck's face lit up with excitement. For the first time in years, he felt genuinely appreciated.

During his tenure at Stark Industries, Beck had been surrounded by people who only cared about weapon development. They dismissed his passion for holographic technology as a waste of talent.

Even Tony Stark had brushed off holograms as mundane. Stark's Malibu mansion housed a far more advanced holographic system integrated with JARVIS, used for virtual experiments. Compared to Stark's work, Beck's efforts seemed trivial.

Unaware of Stark's true capabilities, Beck internalized the dismissive attitudes around him. His years of resentment and frustration had nearly broken his spirit.

This bitterness later fueled his transformation into Mysterio, a vengeful figure who sought to surpass Stark by deceiving the world and manipulating Spider-Man.

But today, his trajectory changed.

Anton, a visionary director and entrepreneur, sought Beck out and praised his work.

To Anton, Beck was an invaluable talent.

As a master of deception capable of fooling the world, Beck's expertise was perfectly suited for DC's ambitions in visual effects.

Additionally, in the comics, Mysterio origins as a Hollywood VFX artist made him a perfect fit.

"Mr. Beck, leave Stark Industries and join me," Anton said firmly, extending a hand. "With me, you'll reach your full potential. Your work deserves the world's spotlight."

Beck hesitated briefly, but Anton's sincerity won him over. Gripping Anton's hand, Beck smiled, his enthusiasm rekindled.

It was a new beginning.