Hollywood What If Chapter 520
It was undeniable that Iron Man was the reason why Robert Downey Jr. became famous. Well, before going to jail, Robert had already made a name for himself, but his popularity was nothing compared to the peak he reached with Iron Man. That was his most famous role for a reason. It was the turning point of his life.
With the same logic, the other MCU actors also became famous because they starred in the MCU.
Chris Evans was known as the Human Torch in Fantastic Four before becoming Captain America/Steve Rogers. However, if you asked every kid in the 2020s, most of them would tell you that they only knew Chris Evans as Captain America, nothing else but that superhero.
Chris Hemsworth also had the same situation. Even Scarlett Johansson was in the same boat. They became Hollywood icons because of the MCU. No one could deny that fact.
They were already celebrities, but starring in the MCU movies changed their lives for the better. Because after the success of The Avengers, these actors had easy access to finding other projects for themselves, earning millions per year. The MCU was a blessing for these actors.
Kazir attended another meeting regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe project. Avi Arad and Stan Lee were obviously present, as were other people from 20th Century Fox.
For their first phase, their two initial movies were Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Both were already near the end of production, and the projects were doing well. No major mishaps. Robert Downey Jr. was easy to work with, and so was Mark Ruffalo.
Now, this meeting was for the preparation and approval of their next projects... No money was invested yet, since many parties were still testing the waters.
If Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk didn't reach their expected outcomes, which was making money at the box office, Marvel Studios would have to think twice before continuing this ambitious project called the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, they needed money to make these movies, and 20th Century Fox wouldn't just sit still and let them waste money... Perhaps they'd have to focus on animated movies.
If Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk failed at the box office, the MCU might not happen.
So, for the time being, no money would be spent on the next projects, which were Captain America and Thor.
This meeting was just to solidify their plans. They talked about the scripts, their expectations, and also their target audience. They also discussed the possible cast, especially the actors who would take the roles of Captain America and Thor.
"Hm? You're asking me who should be Captain America?" Kazir realized that people were looking at him, waiting for his response.
Some of them had already talked about the actors they wanted to hire to be Captain America. But of course, they also wanted to ask Kazir.
'... I remember a few years ago, someone recommended Tom Cruise to be Tony Stark, but the idea didn't last long.'
There were many factors as to why the negotiation didn't reach the final stage.
He listened to their conversation about the actors they believed could take the mantle of Captain America.
Some said that Sebastian Stan could fit the role.
'Erm, Sebastian Stan will be Bucky Barnes, so nope. Let's not make it complicated. We will hire Sebastian Stan, but not for the role of Steve Rogers.'
Some said that John Krasinski fit the role.
'Hmm, let's see... I can see the possibilities, but let's not make haste here. John Krasinski is still needed in The Office. I don't want to destroy that franchise by hiring him.'
Some also said that Jensen Ackles could fit the role of Captain America.
'Yeah, I can see Jensen pulling off Captain America. His role in The Boys as Soldier Boy has some resemblance with Captain America, after all.'
Unfortunately for Jensen, Kazir had no intention of changing the cast. He wanted to keep Chris Evans as Captain America.
"If you're going to ask me, I think Chris Evans has what it takes to be Captain America."
When Kazir expressed his thoughts, some people nodded, while others frowned.
"Kazir, you do remember that we have no intention of making a third movie for Fantastic Four after the mixed reviews we got from Rise of the Silver Surfer."
That was right. 20th Century Fox saw that Fantastic Four had lost its potential after the second movie, so they decided not to make another one.
Chris Evans was the Human Torch in that movie, and it might be confusing to the audience if Chris Evans showed up in the MCU as Captain America.
"I won't change my opinion though. In my opinion, Chris Evans is the perfect actor to take the role of Captain America. He has the charisma, the appearance, and the body to be Captain America. Besides, Chris is having a hard time finding roles these days, he won't settle for a huge salary."
Kazir was not sure about the latter part of his answer. He didn't remember any memorable roles that Chris Evans took in the late 2000s aside from the Human Torch.
"So are the other actors we recommended," one member of the 20th Century Fox management snickered. Some chuckled at hearing that.
"My opinion still stands though."
Kazir was one of the heads of Marvel Studios. He was also the best director of the era. No one could disregard his opinion. So even though some of the people in management didn't like him, they took note of what he said, especially when they sensed the conviction in Kazir's answer.
After working on The Dark Knight Trilogy, Kazir understood that some people in management believed that he had betrayed them.
Kazir only had one response: Fuck them. He earned more than $100 million in the first movie (Batman Begins) alone. Everyone with common sense could see that he had made the right decision.