[Two Days Later] [Titan Studios – Alex's Office]
Alex was writing the first phase of the MCU when his phone buzzed.
Peter Jackson.
Alex answered. "Peter, how's it going?"
The familiar New Zealand accent came through the line. "Alex, I finished reading The Hobbit Trilogy. Took me some time to get to know the characters. I don't say this lightly, but it's brilliant. You were right about there being more life in those pages than most franchises ever dream of. I'm in. I want to make these films."
Alex leaned back in his chair, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That's what I was hoping to hear."
"I'll tell you this upfront," Peter continued. "If we do this, I want to keep it real. Real sets, real landscapes. Minimal green screen. I want audiences to feel the dirt under the dwarves' boots, the mist on the mountains, the cold of the dragon's breath. The world deserves to see Middle-earth, not pixels pretending to be it."
Alex nodded, his voice steady. "You'll get it. You'll have full control of the project, as promised. I won't interfere, not unless something drifts too far from the original text. I'll handle the budget, you handle the magic. Spend what you need and deliver the best masterpiece of your life."
There was a quiet pause on the other end, followed by Peter's low chuckle. "Careful, Alex. When you give me that kind of freedom, I tend to go a bit overboard."
"That's exactly why I called you," Alex replied.
Peter's tone grew serious again. "Alright then. I'll start with scouting. I have a few places in mind. New Zealand's still my favorite canvas, but there are mountains in Iceland that look straight out of your descriptions. Once I finalize, I'll send photos and location notes for approval."
"Perfect," Alex said. "I'll send someone from my end to your office in Wellington. They'll handle the legal paperwork, permits, contracts, and funding logistics. You focus on what you do best."
"Sounds good," Peter said. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "What about casting? Do you want to handpick your leads again?"
Alex smiled faintly. "Only one. Tauriel. I want Evangeline Lilly for her. She's perfect for the role. For the rest, the stage is yours."
Peter paused, amused. "Evangeline, huh? Good choice. She has that fierce grace the role needs. Alright, I'll take care of the rest of the casting once we start pre-production."
"Then we're agreed," Alex said.
"We are," Peter replied. "Let's make something the world won't forget."
Alex's smile deepened. "That's the plan."
When the call ended, he sat for a moment, staring out the window. The skyline shimmered against the afternoon light. A small sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.
The Hobbit Trilogy was finally coming to life. And with Peter Jackson at the helm, it would be more than just a movie. It would be a legacy.
He reached for the intercom. "Jane, get Legal and Finance ready. We're greenlighting a new project with Peter Jackson. Send someone to Wellington by tomorrow morning."
"On it," Jane replied almost instantly.
Alex set the phone down and turned his chair toward the wall-sized whiteboard that dominated one side of his office. On it were dozens of sticky notes, character names, arrows, and rough sketches of scenes. His handwriting trailed across the board like the blueprints of a cinematic universe in motion.
He stood up and walked over to the board. He picked up a marker and drew a circle around the word Phase One.
Underneath, he wrote the first title in bold: SPIDER-MAN.
He leaned back, thinking aloud. "Start with heart."
Peter Parker wasn't a billionaire genius or a super-soldier. He was an ordinary boy carrying an extraordinary weight. That was the hook. A story that grounded everything to come.
He began outlining beats on the board:
Queens.
The spider bite.
Uncle Ben's death.
First villain: Vulture.
Post-credit scene: Stark is prepping for a tour in Afghanistan to demonstrate the new "Jericho" missile. And behind him, on the TV, Spiderman is fighting Rhino.
Alex smirked at that last one. "The," he muttered. "It begins there."
Next, he scribbled IRON MAN beneath it.
This one would be the pivot. The story will start with Iron Man's origin. It would connect to Spider-Man subtly—Stark's curiosity about the masked kid who appeared on the TV, saving a bus full of people, and fighting villains.
Afghan war.
Jericho missile test.
Explosion and abduction.
The reactor.
First suit.
Political shit.
Villain: Obadiah Stane
He outlined the post-credit scene for Iron Man right under it.
Scene: A shadowed figure enters Stark's lab. Tony was sleeping on the couch after a long day of work. The shadowy figure closes in on Stark and opens his mouth, revealing fangs. Tony's AI weapons activated, the suit flew in and shot a repulsor blast at the figure. At the same time, a glint of blade appears, slicing the vamp in half, followed by the burning effect.
Reveal: Blade.
He tapped the marker against the board. "Blade," he said quietly, the grin forming again.
Under BLADE, he began listing key points.
Introduce the supernatural side and Blade's origin.
Keep it dark, visceral, and stylish.
Blend realism with myth.
Villain: Deacon Frost
The world starts realizing that "superhuman" doesn't just mean alien or tech—it means everything that crawls out of the dark.
Post credit: Blade vs Wolverine in an alley.
Then came the first real twist of his new MCU.
He drew three intersecting lines and wrote MUTANTS across them in large, black letters.
The mutants wouldn't be introduced through a standalone X-Men film for now. They'd appear organically. Subtle cameos, unexplained powers, background references in news broadcasts, whispered fears from ordinary people. The build-up would be slow at first, until the moment came when the world realized it had been living among mutants all along.
The first movie in the series will start with: X-Men: Origins
Introduction of Mutants.
Professor X & Magneto's vision.
Project X.
Experiments.
Stryker.
Politics.
Mutant vs humans conflicts.
Villain: Sebastian Shaw
Post Credits: Decide later.
Alex thought for a moment before he wrote the words Phase Two Seeds under it.
Alex's mind was already racing ahead.
He wrote FANTASTIC FOUR on the far end of the board, separate from the others, and drew a heavy line underneath.
"Different universe," he murmured.
This one would exist as a standalone story for now—another reality where science reached too far. The audience wouldn't know it yet, but by the end of the movie, that separation would become the bridge to something far bigger: The Multiverse Saga.
He jotted the ending note:
Reed Richards detects "multiversal fluctuations."
Wanda's excessive dream walking creates incursions.
Cut to black.
Title card: "Phase Two – In Development."
Alex dropped the marker.
He could see it clearly now: a cinematic universe that connected science, myth, and humanity. One that didn't chase trends but built foundations. One that grew from the street-level struggles of a teenage boy to the cosmic reach of heroes who would define generations.
"Haaa... Gotta hire a few directors. There is only so much I can do alone," He sighed as he slumped down on his chair. "Let's start as soon as possible. Ah! Made that promise to Angelina... Vacation in the Bahamas. Oh, well, maybe a week or two later."
For a moment, he just sat there with his eyes closed.
A few minutes later...
Alex decided to shift his attention toward the files on his table: projects in progress, deals pending, and the latest reports from Titan's legal department. But the top two files caught his attention. Both were marked with gold stickers: Lost in Translation and Alien.
Jane had written a note on a pink Post-it stuck to the first one.
"Confirmed. Both were approved for Oscar consideration. Formal letters from the Academy are attached. Congratulations, boss."
"We did it, Scarlett," he murmured to himself.
..
[Later that evening]
Alex was still at his desk, working on generating some new comics with his System. Earlier that day, his new books, The Hobbit Trilogy, went live. Most authors release one book at a time, but Alex, being Alex, decided to flex and release the three books together. He also called Evangeline and told her that The Hobbit is on. Then informed Scarlett about the Oscar situation.
His phone buzzed. Rachel.
He smiled before answering. "Hey, sunshine. Burning the midnight oil again?"
Her voice came through, warm and full of energy. "You know me. Sleep is for people without empires to run. Speaking of which, everything's ready for the Titan Perfume launch. The venue's locked, press invites are out, celebs invited, the ad campaign is live, and the stock is ready. Alex, it's going to be a blast."
"That's what I like to hear," Alex said, leaning back in his chair. "You've outdone yourself again."
"Oh, please," Rachel replied with a laugh. "Flattery gets you nowhere, boss. Well, maybe somewhere."
Alex chuckled. "You're impossible."
"Only for most men," she teased, then shifted her tone slightly. "Anyway, I've got updates on Caroline's dad too. The lawyers are confident. The evidence is solid, the prosecutor's backing down, and he should be out in a month or two. Some big corporations are going to burn for this."
"That's good news," Alex said quietly. "Caroline will be so happy."
Rachel exhaled softly on the other end. "Now, onto something a little darker. About that attack on you... My sources traced it back to a Japanese syndicate. No clear motive yet, but they're organized and they've been watching Titan for a while. I don't think it's random. But I will find out. You don't need to worry. I've already got people tracking them. If they so much as sneeze in your direction, I'll know."
Alex's brows furrowed. "Rachel, don't push yourself too hard. I dumped a lot on your plate. Between the perfume line, Titan LA, and now this, you've got too much going on."
She laughed softly, a mix of warmth and mischief. "You know what keeps me going? The promise of a good massage and a long night of sex when you finally get your ass back to LA."
Alex chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing. "That's one hell of a motivation system."
"It works," Rachel said. "So don't worry about me, boss. I've got this under control. You just focus on making those billion-dollar universes and staying alive, okay?"
"Alright," he said gently. "Thank you, Rachel. For everything."
"Always," she replied.
The call ended.
A moment later...
The door opened without a knock, and Max walked in, followed by Caroline. "Moneybags, we brought company."
She was carrying an orange cat.
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