Chapter 26

Kevin Feige, one of the future architects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played a pivotal role in Marvel's rise to prominence. However, the situation in 2006 was starkly different from the post-2012 era, when Marvel dominated Hollywood.

Back then, Marvel was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Since 1996, the company had accrued $700 million in debt due to poor management. In a desperate bid to stay afloat, Marvel had sold off the rights to nearly all its major heroes. The X-Men went to Fox, Iron Man to New Line, and Spider-Man and Thor to Sony.

Ike Perlmutter, Marvel's chairman at the time, was convinced that investing in superhero movies was too risky. He even cut Stan Lee's salary in half. Despite internal discussions about forming the Avengers, Perlmutter vetoed the idea, seeing it as too much of a gamble. Kevin Feige, who would later become a linchpin in Marvel's success, was then just an assistant to Avi Arad, another key figure in the company's history.

In 2006, Feige had only recently taken over as president of Marvel Studios, tasked with promoting Marvel films amidst the company's dire straits. His primary role on the Spider-Man set was to ensure that the character remained true to its roots, although his influence was limited in other areas.

During the Spider-Man production, Feige had a few creative discussions with Xu Can, but they were not particularly close, and Feige didn't even have Xu's contact information. That changed when Xu Can, driven by his interest in Marvel, decided to visit Marvel Studios for the first time.

"Hey, since you're here, why not come by my office?" Kevin Feige, Marvel's president, greeted Xu Can with enthusiasm as he arrived.

"I just had dinner with Mr. Stringer and thought it would be a good time to stop by and chat with you," Xu Can replied, his eyes taking in the Marvel Studios office.

The environment was a far cry from what one might expect from a powerhouse in the making. The office space was dated, with worn desks, chairs, and supplies, reflecting Marvel's financial struggles. Even the newly established Galaxy Pictures office, Xu Can's startup, looked far more polished.

Feige, noticing Xu Can's subtle inspection, looked a bit embarrassed. "This is what we can afford for now. The rent elsewhere is just too high… But with the success of Spider-Man and its sequel, we hope to improve things a bit. Come, let's talk in my office."

Once inside Feige's modest office, Xu Can made himself comfortable on the sofa. As Feige began to discuss the Spider-Man sequel, Xu interrupted.

"Wait, Kevin. We can talk about Spider-Man later. I'm actually here to discuss something else."

"What's on your mind?" Feige asked, puzzled.

"Are you considering taking out a loan to produce a superhero movie on your own?" Xu Can asked, smiling knowingly.

Feige was taken aback. "Yes, Xu, you're well-informed. We've recently been exploring that possibility…"

Kevin Feige was stunned. Marvel had only recently seen a glimmer of hope with the success of Spider-Man. Desperate for a comeback, Feige had been planning to leverage this success to create a superhero movie. Xu Can's knowledge of these plans, even before they were public, was astonishing.

But Xu Can wasn't done yet. "Let me guess, the movie you're planning to make is… Iron Man?"

Feige's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know that? This is… incredible!"

Due to shifts in the timeline, the Iron Man movie, originally slated for a 2008 release, hadn't even been greenlit yet. The popular Marvel properties were still in other studios' hands. Feige had only that morning decided to salvage Iron Man from its status as a third-tier IP and try to make something of it. How could Xu Can possibly know this?

The young Chinese filmmaker before him suddenly seemed almost mystical in his insight.

"As a Marvel fan, I love these characters, which is why I was involved in Spider-Man," Xu Can said. "I'm interested in participating in and helping to develop other Marvel properties…"

"I understand that you want to create more than just standalone movies. You're aiming to build a larger universe, like the Avengers… to create a Marvel Cinematic Universe."

Xu Can's words struck a chord deep within Kevin Feige. Finally, someone who truly understood his vision!

After an extended conversation where Xu Can laid out his ideas, Feige started to see him as a crucial ally. They discussed the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) concept at length, and by the end of the meeting, Feige was eager to start the MCU project with Xu Can's involvement.

The two reached an agreement: Xu Can would join as the chief consultant for the MCU and would also invest his earnings from the next Spider-Man movie into producing Iron Man.

Originally, Feige had planned to take out a $500 million loan, risking everything on Iron Man. But with Xu Can's support, Feige felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He knew that with Xu Can's involvement, Iron Man was sure to replicate the success of Spider-Man.

As Xu Can left Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige personally escorted him out, filled with a renewed sense of optimism. Xu Can, for his part, left feeling victorious. He had successfully positioned himself as a key player in the birth of the MCU.

Back at Galaxy Pictures, Xu Can arrived in style, pulling up in a sleek silver Mercedes-Benz SLR-McLaren. As he stepped out of the car, his employees couldn't help but stare, and the receptionist practically drooled at the sight of him.

Happy, Xu Can's agent, quickly came out to greet him.

"Oh my God, you finally bought a car! How much did it cost?" Happy asked.

"Only $450,000. Park it in the garage for me. I have a project meeting to attend," Xu Can said, tossing the keys to Happy before striding into the office.

Inside, the production team from Columbia Pictures was already waiting.

"Hey! I'm not your parking valet!" Happy grumbled, though he couldn't resist hopping into the driver's seat to take the car for a quick spin before parking it.

Meanwhile, in the conference room, the creative team for John Wick was holding its final prep meeting. The movie was set to start shooting soon, with a targeted release date of Easter 2007.

Across town at Time Warner's headquarters, CEO Dick Parsons was slumped in his chair, disheartened by the recent box office results. They had hoped that Superman Returns would hold its own against Spider-Man, but with Spider-Man on track to hit $1 billion, and Superman Returns barely reaching $300 million, the battle was a resounding failure.

"Superman's not cutting it. We need to reboot Batman. The superhero train has left the station, and we need to get on board if we want to stay in the game! We can't let DC's valuable IPs go to waste," Parsons said.

Producer Charles Roven suggested, "I have an idea: We could reboot Batman with a director who can bring a gritty, realistic tone to the character. Maybe we can hire Christopher Nolan, who received great reviews for The Conjuring this year. And for Batman… why not get Xu Can? If he can succeed as Spider-Man, he can definitely pull off Batman!"

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