CBS: "This morning, Los Angeles rallied its entire city to fulfill the dream of a 5-year-old boy named Wendy Winster, who has congenital leukemia."
"Initiated by the non-profit Make-A-Wish Foundation, co-hosted by MGM Studios and Marvel Entertainment, tens of thousands of people spontaneously cooperated to help young Wendy realize his superhero dream."
"This is the embodiment of the American Dream, this is the manifestation of human kindness. Let us wish Wendy Winster a speedy recovery."
ABC: "Wendy Winster's dream journey, an action that touched countless people. Little Wendy is a superhero, and everyone who participated is a superhero!"
CBS: "The grand event in Los Angeles is sweeping across the United States, showcasing the beauty of humanity to the world."
NBC News: "Next, we will broadcast an interview with Ms. Kel Fu, the head of the Make-A-Wish Foundation."
A woman who appeared to be in her forties was shown on screen, recounting the entire story in full.
"Our staff heard about Wendy's story; he was about to face the most important surgery of his life."
"But no one could guarantee 100% success for the surgery, which meant it could be the last moments of the child's life."
"We originally planned to rent a venue and have park staff play with him for a day, but that wasn't what Wendy wanted."
"A superhero? A child's beautiful dream, but it was truly beyond our capabilities, so we tried to seek help from comic book companies and film studios."
"Fortunately, MGM and Marvel responded immediately; they were willing to help."
"Including the people of the entire Los Angeles, the Mayor, the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Chief of Police—everyone was a truly good person."
With the successful realization of this dream journey, a huge wave of public attention spread directly across the entire United States.
Most people are optimistic, or at least have optimism within them, no matter how much darkness they have experienced.
This kind of news meets audience expectations, aligns with mainstream values, and can also bring in ratings, so there's no reason not to report it extensively.
It's just that the major TV stations reported from different angles; those who didn't have a good relationship with Eric only focused on the event itself, completely omitting any mention of MGM or Marvel.
Those with good relationships, however, fully showcased the critical role played by the two companies.
In interviews with the Winster family, the couple clearly expressed their gratitude to MGM and Marvel; the words from their mouths were the best promotional message.
MGM and Marvel Group immediately announced that they would cover all of young Wendy's medical expenses until he recovered.
Furthermore, a Children's Leukemia Foundation would be established specifically for children's treatment, naturally garnering widespread praise.
This is what true charity means; attending galas and donating some money is far less practical than this.
The next day, something Eric hadn't expected happened.
The then-President Bush specifically filmed a video for young Wendy. Although it was for votes and involved many political factors, it was a good thing overall.
The old man's expression was uncharacteristically less serious than his usual media appearances. He gave a thumbs up and said, "Thank you, Wendy Winster!"
"Thank you for everything you've done for Los Angeles. You saved this city. You are a superhero, a superhero of the United States!"
"In you, I see a spirit—a spirit of fearlessness in the face of hardship and courage to move forward. This spirit is encouraging the entire nation. Thank you, thank you!"
Even the President was moved, so naturally, ordinary people were even more abuzz with discussion. This event almost became the hottest topic for several days.
"I was moved. As a man in my forties, I thought life had become numb, but feeling tears roll down, I thought a lot."
"It's such a lucky thing to hear such good news during the Christmas holiday. I also love superheroes. Bless Wendy Winster, and I hope he recovers soon."
"So the story behind this is so complex, with MGM and Marvel quietly contributing. Aren't Iron Man and captain america coming out soon? This time, I definitely have to support them!"
"Am I the only one whose attention was completely drawn to that iron suit? The design is just too cool! Where can I buy one? I want one."
"I also want that iron armor. Wearing it will definitely attract the attention of the whole family. I'll be the most dazzling kid in the crowd."
"New York Comic Con is still a month away. I've decided to make one by hand. OMG! I can already predict how popular Iron Man will be after the movie comes out."
"Avril is indeed my goddess. Those guys who always criticize her for corrupting teenagers, why aren't you speaking now?"
"Avril Lavigne did really well. This reminds me of The Voice finale night, where she also participated in the 'We Are the World' chorus. She's a good person, isn't she?"
"Avril's song this time was truly amazing. Heaven knows how many times I replayed it; it just killed my ears."
"It really was explosively good, with a particularly moving power, and it's a new song. It must be one she wrote specifically for this event. I love this girl to death!"
Many people rushed to Arista's official website and Avril's Facebook account to leave messages, demanding a studio version be released quickly, saying they were all waiting.
Avril, however, replied openly and directly, stating that it would be released and would definitely satisfy her fans.
She also stated that the song was not her original creation, but was written by Eric Cooper for Wendy.
She expressed great gratitude to Eric for allowing her to participate in the arrangement and for the right to perform it.
At this point, it naturally sparked more discussion among music fans.
Damn, this guy either doesn't make a move, or when he does, it's a showstopper.
It's a pity that his energy is all focused on business and the film industry. For music, he's not entirely unconcerned, just incredibly lazy.
Everyone also realized that Eric would absolutely not write songs for no reason; his songs always had a clear purpose.
Either as a movie theme song or to promote his own people.
As for asking him to write a song, the queue of people would stretch from Los Angeles to New York, but unfortunately, no one succeeded.
It's just that two months later, the Grammy Awards, which were already a fierce competition, would have even more intensity added to them.
As for Arista, it didn't respond at all.
The day after Eric expressed his intention to take over, he directly transferred the money to Avril's account.
The meaning was clear: quickly dump your old company and rush into Daddy's embrace.
Upon seeing the money, the naturally straightforward punk girl immediately got excited. She briefly informed her agent and then ran to the company to demand contract termination, completely bewildering the other party.
What do you mean?
You cooperated with UTA, fine, it was just one song. Now you're even giving your body to them? Am I just supposed to be the cuckold?
Don't forget who discovered you! Without Arista, you might still be singing in some corner!
In principle, Arista did indeed deserve credit, but Avril had also helped the company earn a lot of money in the past two years, and the accounts had long been settled.
Moreover, after she became popular, the company immediately revised the contract, raising the liquidated damages to 25 million United States dollars.
In this era, for a singer who had just debuted for two years, 25 million United States dollars was an astronomical figure for an individual, and Avril had said that she couldn't afford it.
Normally, companies wouldn't maliciously poach talent, but they never expected UTA, their sworn enemy, to jump in.
The two sides were haggling; Arista was playing the emotional card, offering better terms, and trying desperately to retain her.
Avril, however, was in triple-denial. Her decision was unshakeable; she was determined to leave. If they didn't sign, she would simply breach the contract unilaterally.
For the sake of appearances, it was estimated that after a few more days of wrangling, Arista would be forced to let her go.
The ArcLight Theatre, it was very busy here this year; MGM had directly booked out the cinema.
Only their own premieres were allowed, preventing other companies from causing trouble.
Luxury cars, red carpets, beautiful women, and a clamor that reached the heavens.
Even though it was winter and the evening weather was cold, it still couldn't deter the fervent moviegoers and fans.
Especially since the buzz from the young Wendy incident hadn't died down, public attention naturally extended to Iron Man.
It's not an exaggeration to say it had everyone's attention now. Midnight show tickets in many places were sold out, and even some small towns felt like New Year's.
Everyone was anticipating the golden-red armor flying in the sky. As long as the movie's quality was good, Marvel's reputation would be thoroughly established.
Of course, if it flopped, hehe.
captain america would also suffer greatly.
But could such a thing happen?
"Come over, Avi, and Feige. Today is a big day!"
Eric called out, and Avi Arad and Kevin Feige happily jogged over.
After the three embraced, Avi Arad said emotionally, "I've been dreaming of this day, a dream I've had for countless years. Marvel is like my child, and today he is finally growing up."
"Come on! Don't say such sad things. We should be happy today."
"Yes, we should be happy today, Avi."
"Alright, alright, I'm just getting old and a bit emotional. Let me go to the restroom."
Not far away, Robert Downey Jr. and Amy Adams walked over.
Downey was the male lead, and Amy Adams naturally played the female lead, Pepper Potts.
As for Gwyneth Paltrow, that useless person, whoever wanted to use her could, Eric would absolutely not, even if she was Spielberg's goddaughter.
Moreover, that woman's personality was notoriously bad, especially snobbish, a typical example of being pretentious and foolish.
Even in the United States, a large number of people disliked her.
Amy Adams was much better; not only was her reputation good, but her acting was also on point.
At 30 years old this year, she looked great standing next to Downey, and her hair color was a reddish-blonde, which was also quite close to Pepper in the comics.
In short, Eric decided on her at first sight. The former queen could get lost!
"I don't know how long it's been since I walked a red carpet. Phew!"
"Haha. If I weren't next to you, would your legs be too weak to walk?"
"Maybe, after all, when I faced so many flashing lights before, it usually meant I was going back to prison."
Eric patted his shoulder: "Downey, let's not mention such things. Over the past year or so, you've done well. No more negative news, right?"
Downey nodded: "Boss, I promise I've really changed. Alcohol, drugs, and marijuana—I've been filming and consistently undergoing treatment. I even drink juice at parties."
"That's right, I can prove he's telling the truth, because a man in love, he's definitely full of motivation."
"What?"
Downey quickly stopped Amy Adams: "Don't talk nonsense. It was just a bet. I'm not yet qualified to talk about love."
Eric looked at Amy Adams.
"During filming, a woman often visited the set, Susan Levin, a producer."
"Then we learned about this love story: Downey had to completely break his bad habits and stick to it for two years without relapse before he could marry Susan."
"Boss, it seems that opportunities and paychecks can't truly awaken a man; only love can."
Eric burst out laughing, never expecting Downey to still end up with Susan Levin. Perhaps it was destiny.
But can love truly do it?
Thinking about the women around him, each one was outstanding. Perhaps the time wasn't right yet.
In the cinema, as the lights dimmed, the MGM lion roared a few times.
Then, instead of jumping to the beginning of the movie, the Marvel Comics opening appeared, the striking red instantly invigorating the audience.
Immediately, the scene shifted to a speeding military vehicle.
Amidst explosive rock music, Tony Stark, impeccably dressed in a suit and holding champagne, seemed completely out of place next to the fully armed soldiers.
"Mr. Stark, I heard that all the girls on the Playboy cover have been with you. Is that true?"
"Good question. Strictly speaking, not quite, because I had other plans in March and it didn't happen. But fortunately, the September cover featured twins, so theoretically, I still had 12."
Hahahahaha
In just two or three minutes of screen time, Tony Stark's cynical attitude was somewhat revealed.
Especially for comic fans, it immediately felt authentic; Iron Man should indeed be this kind of scoundrel.
But then the attack came, and Tony was kidnapped. As for his kidnappers, Eric changed them.
The Ten Rings were removed, and characters like Fu Manchu and the Mandarin would not appear in the future Marvel Universe.
They were simply terrorists. After all, the United States had not yet withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan, and had just invaded Iraq the previous year.
The scene then switched to a pre-attack awards ceremony, briefly outlining Tony Stark's life to give non-comic book viewers an understanding of the character's background.
Important characters also appeared one after another: Obadiah Stane, Colonel Rhodes, and Pepper Potts, revealing the relationships between them.
Until the scene returned to Tony Stark being attacked and kidnapped, the plot completed a closed loop, also presenting the character relationships, personalities, and the biggest conflict.
Tony Stark, as an arms dealer, strongly advocated for arms to defend peace, and weapons to create peace.
But then he was attacked by the very weapons he sold, which was quite a boomerang, to say the least.
Film critics became interested; it seemed this was not just a commercial film, but also incorporated more depth and thought.
Especially how to deal with the relationship between weapons and peace would be the core content of the film.
This Iron Man, it seemed, was becoming interesting.