The Avengers was a film released in 2012. It marked the grand finale of the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By the time it premiered, all the major superheroes had already made dazzling appearances in their respective films.
In the original timeline, this movie was also shot in 2010. But that version of 2010 isn't quite the same as the current one. Thanks to Laila's heavy investment in visual effects technology and her relentless talent scouting, her VFX company had already far surpassed the industry standard. Otherwise, James Cameron wouldn't have specifically sought her out to handle the effects for Avatar.
As everyone knows, the more advanced the special effects, the better the viewing experience. In the early days, when paper-thin characters flew across the screen, that was considered VFX too. But compared to today's hyper-realistic effects, those old tricks seem laughably outdated.
Laila first gathered the actors to chat for a while, hoping to hear any suggestions they might have for the shoot. As long as their input helped elevate the film to the level she envisioned, no matter how outlandish the idea, she'd be willing to consider it. Of course, whether she implemented the suggestions was another matter—she wasn't the type to be swayed by casual remarks.
"The shoot is tentatively scheduled to begin in one month. Before filming starts, I hope you'll bring any concerns directly to me. If it's something I can solve, I absolutely won't let it slide. I'm sure you've all heard the news: this movie is meant to break box office records. While special effects are crucial in a commercial film, your performances are just as important."
Laila wanted to make things clear from the start: once they entered filming mode, she wouldn't tolerate any nonsense.
"Out of all of you, probably only Downey has worked with me before. Anyone who knows me knows how demanding I am when it comes to films, so I'll need your full cooperation. Suppose, for any reason, you find yourselves distracted or unable to give your best. In that case, I won't hesitate to replace you—no questions asked. I don't think any of you want to see that happen."
She wasn't trying to scare them—this was genuinely how she felt. In the past, if an actor was off their game, they might have asked why, but times had changed. Now she was on a tight schedule and aiming for perfection. She didn't have the patience to babysit.
Thanks to previous superhero films, all of them already had solid fan bases. They'd gone from C-listers to some of the hottest names in the industry. Take the actor playing Captain America—he might still fall short of being a true A-lister, but his visibility was easily in the upper echelon of B-tier stars.
They might be famous now, but in front of Laila, that meant nothing. With a snap of her fingers, she could bring them crashing back down. She wouldn't even need to blacklist them—just saying their acting wasn't up to par would be enough to make Hollywood lose interest.
Think about it: if even Laila—famous for molding actors—didn't rate them, who else would dare to cast them?
So, for the sake of their careers, they were more than willing to follow her lead. They also knew from industry gossip that even actors who had played minor roles in her films received way more attention than in any other project. If you wanted to be a star, working with her was the best shortcut.
"Don't worry, Director Moran. We won't let you down!"
"As soon as the camera rolls, we'll be locked in and ready!"
One by one, the actors pledged their loyalty, promising to make the filming go smoothly.
Robert Downey Jr. was indeed the only one among them who had previously worked with Laila, so he understood perfectly what her words meant. Thinking back to the Iron Man shoot still gave him chills. So now, watching his new co-stars, he wore a mischievous grin that practically screamed, "Can't wait to see how you rookies cry when the time comes."
Those who only knew Laila outside of work would never guess what she was like on set. Normally, she smiled a lot and seemed approachable and easygoing. But once she was behind the camera, cold and intimidating were the only words that fit.
Truth be told, being a director wasn't easy. A film crew could range from a few hundred to several thousand people, and she had to keep them all in line. If she couldn't command respect, chaos would break out in no time. And let's face it—people are naturally lazy. Slacking off is practically human instinct. The output of someone fully focused versus someone goofing off is night and day.
So if she wanted the film to match her vision, Laila had no choice but to set aside her usual warmth and wear a sterner face.
It's no different than being a leader. People say that once you sit in a position of power long enough, you develop an authoritative aura. That's easy to understand. If your boss is always smiling and joking around, you're probably going to take liberties too. But if your boss is the domineering type with a constant poker face, chances are you'll snap to attention the moment they walk in.
Laila didn't start off yelling at people on set—it was something the job forced her into.
When she asked nicely, practically begging people to get things done, they'd slack off and give her the bare minimum. But if she put on a serious face and barked out the orders, things would get done fast and well.
After her talk with the actors, Laila headed over to the VFX company. She wanted to see how far they'd pushed the technology and whether it could achieve the vision she had in mind. When it came to The Avengers, one of the most jaw-dropping scenes had to be the appearance of that massive sky carrier. Countless people were stunned by the shot of it rising from the ocean into the sky. That scene was undeniably one of the film's most iconic moments.
This time, she didn't come empty-handed—she brought design sketches of the sky carrier. Of course, she couldn't recall every detail, but the parts that had burned themselves into her memory were impossible to forget. She sketched those out and left the rest for her team to fill in.
And since Laila was the boss, everything stopped when she arrived. No matter how busy they were, the team immediately prioritized her request. When they saw the design she brought in, the VFX artists couldn't help but whistle—it looked awesome.
"I want to see seawater streaming down the hull of the sky carrier. I want to see the air lifting it into the sky. I want everyone who sees this scene to remember it. And even ten years from now, when people talk about the most breathtaking cinematic moments, I want this one to come up."
Her words ignited the team's passion. As she described the shot, they could practically see the carrier from the sketch coming to life on the big screen. If they could pull off what she envisioned, her goal didn't seem out of reach at all.
"Don't worry, boss. We'll make sure you're more than satisfied!"