The astonishing revenue generated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) IP revealed the deep underlying value of the Marvel brand, amounting to trillions of dollars. This success solidified Disney's position as the only superpower in Hollywood.
In this process, Kevin Feige, the former president of Marvel Studios, played a crucial role, and he could easily replace himself in that position.
Of course, Kevin Feige himself was a talented individual who wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
On the other hand, there was another person who played a crucial role in building the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That person was none other than Stan Lee, the core figure behind popular Marvel characters such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the Hulk.
The name Stan Lee was familiar to anyone with even a slight knowledge of Marvel. Only with his involvement could the Marvel Cinematic Universe be perfectly crafted without any flaws.
In the previous timeline, Kevin believed that there were too many flaws in the Marvel Universe. Many aspects didn't add up or make sense.
According to Kevin, the biggest reason for this was that Marvel didn't have a clear plan from the beginning. The planning for the Marvel Universe slowly took shape and was subsequently perfected, leaving behind many bugs.
But what if everything had been planned in advance?
With this thought in mind, Kevin had learned from a few former Marvel employees about Stan Lee's whereabouts and had come with his bodyguards to Stan Lee's residence in Los Angeles.
Looking at the standalone villa in front of him, Kevin stepped forward and rang the doorbell. Speaking politely into the intercom at the door, he said, "Hello, I'm the president of Marvel. I have a matter to discuss with Mr. Stan Lee. Is he available?"
After a moment, a nanny with a sharp expression came out and took a sharp look at Kevin and the two bodyguards standing behind him.
Yes, Kevin had hired another bodyguard. As his status in Hollywood grew higher and his wealth increased, he wanted to take precautions against potential robberies or kidnappings by certain individuals. Kevin had even paid to get them firearms licenses, and they each carried at least two guns.
Under these circumstances, if something were to happen, all the precautions Kevin took would be useless. After all, he couldn't carry a special forces team with him at all times.
Seemingly realizing Kevin's notable status and intimidated by the two burly bodyguards, the nanny's initially sharp expression softened, and she calmly said, "Please wait. Let me inform Mr. Stan Lee and see if he's willing to meet you."
Kevin smiled and pulled out $1,000 from his pocket, handing it over, and added, "Please let him know that I have something very important related to Marvel to discuss with him."
Regarding the money, the nanny's face transformed like a blooming flower under the temptation of $1,000, smoothing out her once sharp features. "Leave it to me. Mr. Lee will see you. However, I can't guarantee the success of your discussion," she said in a greedy tone, snatching the money.
With that, she closed the door and went inside to report.
...
"Mr. Stan Lee, there's a man claiming to be the President of Marvel looking for you. He says it's something extremely important related to Marvel," the nanny relayed.
Stan Lee, who is currently 73 years old and still in decent health, was sitting in a rocking chair, reading a newspaper.
Upon hearing the nanny's words, he displayed a look of disgust.
Ronald Perelman, the owner and president of Marvel, had implemented a series of measures since taking office that not only failed to revive Marvel but also worsened its various situations.
As one of the primary creators of Marvel, Stan Lee felt completely disregarded in front of him.
Disheartened, Stan Lee had long since resigned himself to retirement, and now, upon hearing that Ronald Perelman was looking for him, he immediately frowned and refused.
The nanny hadn't expected Stan Lee to reject the offer so quickly. Thinking about the $1,000 in her hand, she quickly said, "Sir, I think it's best if you see him. Judging from his expression, it seems to be truly important."
"Aren't you always keeping an eye on Marvel's development?"
Countless thoughts flashed through Stan Lee's mind, but ultimately, he couldn't let go of the Marvel empire he had built from scratch. With a long sigh, he reluctantly said, "Let them in."
The nanny's face brightened as if she was afraid Stan Lee would change his mind. She quickly responded with a "yes" and hurriedly went to the door to let them in.
With their arrival, she could finally have peace of mind about the $1,000.
Guided by the nanny, Kevin, accompanied by his two bodyguards, walked directly into the living room of the house.
An elderly man with gray hair happened to look up and make eye contact with Kevin from outside.
Confused by Kevin's face, Stan Lee asked, "Are you the President of Marvel? Isn't Ronald Perelman the President of Marvel?"
Since being pushed aside, Stan Lee hadn't heard any relevant news from Marvel, except for the small percentage of shares he still held, which provided him with annual dividends. He relied on newspapers to stay updated about Marvel.
The news of the change in Marvel's presidency, orchestrated by Kevin, obviously hadn't reached Stan Lee's ears.
Kevin smiled slightly and explained, "I bought 70% of Marvel's shares. I am now the owner of Marvel and also hold the position of President."