"Of course, I have another identity, and that is Steve Kevin, the major shareholder of MGM," Kevin said.
After Kevin gave the nanny an additional five hundred dollars and she went straight to the kitchen without coming out, this information was not disclosed to the outside world. Otherwise, it would have caused quite a stir in Hollywood.
"Steve Kevin?" With age, Stan Lee's reactions and memory had declined, making his response a bit slow. But within a few seconds, Stan Lee recalled the name. He didn't have much to do in his daily life other than reading newspapers, and Steve Kevin had made numerous appearances in various newspaper publications in recent years. Stan Lee might not recognize the person, but he had to know the name.
"The Hollywood director?" Stan Lee asked, seeking confirmation.
Kevin nodded, acknowledging Stan Lee's words. Instantly, Stan Lee became more energetic and politely said, "Please have a seat."
Kevin finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Since Stan Lee's attitude was harmonious, it seemed they could proceed with the matter at hand. He sat down accordingly.
With a smile on his face, Stan Lee asked, "That bastard Ronald Perelman finally sold Marvel, right? Good riddance! He almost sent Marvel, which I worked so hard to build, straight to hell. Isn't he a real jerk?"
Kevin continued the conversation, "Ronald Perelman indeed made a lot of mistakes in Marvel's development. I bought Marvel precisely to revive its position in the Marvel industry in the United States. You see, I grew up reading Marvel comics, and I'm a loyal fan of Marvel. I love characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four."
For a creator, nothing made him happier than receiving praise for his work and hearing that others loved it. Upon hearing Kevin's words, Stan Lee burst into laughter, finding Kevin more pleasing to the eye.
"So why did you come to see me today?"
"I'm getting old, and there's not much I can do anymore," Stan Lee asked while shaking his head, indicating his current state of incapacity.
Kevin's expression remained determined as he replied, "No, Marvel wants to rise again, and it can't happen without you, sir."
"Is there something you don't know?"
"What is it?" Stan Lee asked curiously.
"Ronald Perelman sold the film rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four for a ridiculously low price."
"So, what?" Stan Lee inquired.
Kevin didn't directly answer but instead asked, "Sir, would you like to see Marvel's many heroes appearing together in a movie?"
"Imagine Spider-Man swinging through the city of New York on his web, Iron Man flying in his armor high above the city, Thor wielding his hammer, and the Hulk showcasing his immense power. They all come together in New York City, united to fight a common enemy," Kevin elaborated.
As Kevin spoke, the light returned to Stan Lee's eyes, and he suddenly found a new dream. He imagined his created superheroes battling enemies on the big screen. The thought alone filled him with excitement and enthusiasm.
However, this realization also made Stan Lee feel a sense of heartbreak. If X-Men and Fantastic Four had been sold, it meant they couldn't appear in the same movie.
Stan Lee couldn't help but ask, "So, what are you suggesting?"
Kevin inwardly smiled, thinking it wasn't really a trick, just a way to ignite Stan Lee's proactive spirit. After all, in his past life, when Kevin himself wrote novels and scripts, he had also fantasized about bringing these characters to the big screen.
It was perhaps every creator's dream.
Seeing Stan Lee's inquisitive expression, Kevin explained, "I call it the Marvel Cinematic Universe plan. It revolves around a central storyline, such as Earth facing a major threat, and the heroes uniting to combat this powerful enemy. Through movies, we'll gradually introduce each superhero's appearance."
"Now, we need a specific design to interconnect these heroes completely. As the creator of Marvel's many heroes, I believe this task should be entrusted to you."
He continued, "Furthermore, the premise of this plan is that we retrieve the film rights that have been sold."
Stan Lee's expression hardened as if he was contemplating the feasibility of Kevin's Marvel Cinematic Universe concept. After a moment, Stan Lee's smile returned, and he said, "Alright, but I have one request."
"What request?" Kevin asked.
Stan Lee agreed to come out of retirement, and Kevin naturally had nothing to object to. As long as the requests weren't too unreasonable, he was willing to fulfill them.
Stan Lee smirked cunningly.
"The first superhero has to be Spider-Man."
"No problem," Kevin replied, thinking it would be a more demanding request.
Having Spider-Man as the first superhero to appear was a request Kevin could easily agree to. In fact, in his previous life, Marvel had used Iron Man as the first hero to appear out of necessity. Marvel's most famous IPs, such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, and X-Men, had been sold off by Marvel, which led to their last-ditch effort using a second-tier comic book character.
Now, with the Marvel Universe in Kevin's hands, albeit with the loss of X-Men and Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Hulk were still intact. Starting with Spider-Man in this situation was the best choice.
However, this decision meant that there might not be a chance for Tobey Maguire's version of Spider-Man to make a comeback. This was something that needed to be carefully considered later on.
The Spider-Man trilogy had been highly profitable, and Kevin didn't want to miss out on this special franchise. Of course, he would find a way to regain the rights to the character. Although Spider-Man couldn't be the first wave of superheroes to usher in the era of superhero films, both Fantastic Four and X-Men could still be incorporated into the same cinematic universe as the other Marvel characters.