The richest actor in Hollywood.

After talking for over half an hour, Matthew was the first to excuse himself and leave. Kevin Feige remained seated, watching through the glass wall as Matthew got into a Mercedes-Benz sedan, flanked by bodyguards. He couldn't help but reflect on what Matthew had just said.

In the industry, Matthew Horner was widely recognized for his unique ability to select films and his keen insight into film production.

His repeated successes were the best evidence of this.

Kevin Feige had experienced this firsthand. For instance, Matthew Horner had strongly recommended Robert Downey Jr., and it turned out that Downey was practically born to play Tony Stark.

However, Matthew had also expressed doubts about Gwyneth Paltrow playing Pepper Potts, and once the film was released, it was clear that Pepper Potts was one of the most criticized characters.

Numerous examples seemed to prove that North American audiences didn't particularly like Gwyneth Paltrow.

Kevin Feige couldn't help but admire Matthew Horner's market insight, admitting that he couldn't match it.

Even though "Iron Man" had been a huge success, the upcoming projects, each with a budget exceeding $150 million, were putting tremendous pressure on Kevin Feige.

He knew these projects would directly affect his future.

With a high likelihood of Walt Disney successfully acquiring Marvel Comics, Kevin understood that to secure Disney's full support, he would need to demonstrate his ability to lead Marvel's superhero movies to massive success.

Today, Kevin had invited Matthew Horner partly to gauge his true thoughts on Disney's acquisition of Marvel, and partly to get Matthew's perspective on the future of Marvel's superhero films.

Matthew's investment was at stake, and Kevin believed he wouldn't take a multimillion-dollar investment lightly.

Kevin Feige seriously considered Matthew's words, finding them to be highly logical and representing the safest development strategy.

Movies, especially big-budget commercial films, are fraught with uncertainty. It was too early to start planning for "The Avengers" right now.

If individual superhero films couldn't succeed, a team of characters that audiences hadn't seen on the big screen would receive limited attention.

The idea of assembling a team of superheroes for a movie would certainly be exciting for the audience, especially since they could experience this on a much larger screen than in the comics. The interconnected nature of the comics was already interesting, and if such a thrilling story could be experienced in theaters, the audience and fans would be absolutely satisfied.

Moreover, during the production of these individual films, seeds could be planted, much like the post-credit scene in "Iron Man." If these seeds blossomed, it could lead to trilogies for certain characters. But if the seeds didn't take root and even ruined the movie, they could simply be abandoned, and they could move on to something else.

The more Kevin Feige thought about it, the more he realized that Matthew's words made sense. The key was not to sit down and discuss how to build a cinematic universe but rather to focus on making each part great. If the response was positive and the audience was interested, they could expand from there.

This approach sounded simple but wasn't easy for Marvel, which had only recently tasted success after years of turmoil.

Sudden wealth often leads to overambition, pursuing things too far beyond reach and neglecting the most important foundations.

Marvel Comics must avoid becoming like that.

It seemed Matthew Horner was subtly reminding him through these words.

Kevin Feige nodded slightly, realizing why Matthew had been so successful—such a clear-headed perspective wasn't something just anyone possessed.

With this new understanding, he felt confident that Marvel's superhero movies could achieve even greater success.

Thanks to technological advancements, CGI had become more sophisticated, allowing superhero films to truly captivate audiences. If one movie was well-received, it could lead to another…

Even Matthew himself couldn't have imagined how much Kevin Feige would extrapolate from their conversation.

It just goes to show that overinterpretation can happen to anyone.

In November, Matthew returned to the set of "G.I. Joe" to continue filming. After completing interior scenes at Hughes Aircraft Company, the crew flew directly to Europe. They first shot in Paris for five days, then moved on to London and Dublin, before finally arriving in Iceland to film a crucial action scene.

This time of year in Iceland, although it wasn't the coldest season yet, thick down coats were essential gear when venturing onto glaciers and high-altitude areas.

During pre-production, Stephen Sommers had personally scouted locations in Iceland and chose the Vatnajökull glacier as the filming site.

This glacier, located near the town of Höfn in southeastern Iceland, covers an area of 8,300 square kilometers. It's not only Iceland's largest glacier but also the largest in Europe, second only to the glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland.

After makeup, Matthew donned a thick white combat suit, stepped out of the warm makeup trailer, and walked across the vast icy plain. The wind howled in his ears, and every now and then, he could see hot springs formed by geothermal activity. This place felt like a pristine land, far removed from human civilization, where nature's craftsmanship had meticulously sculpted the uneven terrain, offering a stunning visual experience.

The crew was busy setting up the filming location. Matthew walked a bit further and spotted Sienna Miller, who had just emerged from the makeup trailer.

"Hi, Matthew," Sienna Miller greeted him with a visible puff of breath.

Matthew trudged through the thick snow to reach Sienna's side and reminded her, "It's freezing out here. Where's your coat?"

Unlike Matthew, who was dressed in a down combat suit, Sienna Miller was still wearing her tight black leather outfit for the shoot.

At that moment, Sienna's assistant rushed out of the makeup trailer, holding a long down coat. Matthew quickly took it and draped it over Sienna's shoulders.

"Thanks," Sienna Miller smiled. "I was in such a hurry that I forgot to put it on."

Matthew pointed to a high ground in front of them, where the set was located, and said, "Let's head over."

Sienna Miller was wearing high-heeled black leather boots for the shoot, which made walking on the icy surface quite difficult. She started slipping after just a few steps, and Matthew quickly supported her.

"Careful," he cautioned.

Sienna Miller turned to smile at him, leaning on Matthew as they made their way to the high ground.

"This weather…" Matthew glanced at the somewhat overcast sky. "It's freezing."

Sienna Miller complained, "Wouldn't it be cheaper to film with a blue screen in a studio? Why did we have to come to Iceland?"

Matthew shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Aren't you one of the producers?" Sienna Miller asked.

"I'm just a nominal producer," Matthew explained. He wanted to protect his interests but didn't interfere with the normal operations of the crew. "Stephen Sommers makes all the decisions about filming. Others can't overstep their authority."

He was telling the truth.

But Sienna Miller wasn't entirely convinced. "You don't have much power? Didn't you bring in a female supporting character for the cast?"

Matthew replied offhandedly, "Karolina Kurkova got the role through an audition."

Sienna Miller wasn't so easily fooled. Anyone with eyes could see how Karolina Kurkova landed the role of the red-haired woman.

She had heard from a young girl working as Karolina Kurkova's assistant that after one of the scenes between the Duke and the red-haired woman wrapped up, Matthew and Karolina had hurried into her makeup trailer, and not long after, Karolina's pained screams could be heard coming from inside.

Later, when the two left, the girl had sneaked into the trailer and found the resin handcuffs and faux leather belts used as props strewn carelessly on the floor, as if they had just been used and discarded.

Sienna Miller, a former model who hadn't fully left the fashion world, had heard things about Karolina Kurkova. Now it seemed that Karolina had indeed paid a hefty price to join the cast.

But she didn't feel disdain. After all, when she transitioned from modeling to acting, didn't she also pay a significant price? And didn't she later rely on Jude Law's influence, leading to the ongoing entanglement with him?

This industry is particularly harsh on women.

How many women have sacrificed their bodies and more to gain a bit of resources?

What about the powerful men in Hollywood?

Thinking of this, Sienna Miller glanced at Matthew and subtly nodded. Among the powerful men in Hollywood, Matthew Horner actually had a pretty good reputation. Like many others, he made deals with beautiful women, but at least the actresses who engaged with him always received something in return.

In the grand scheme of Hollywood, Matthew Horner could almost be considered a decent man.

After helping Sienna Miller up to the high ground, Matthew found a spot with a good view and gazed into the distance.

Scenes like this one in Iceland, where snow and ice cover everything, were quite rare for him.

The area seemed like a plain but was actually a bowl-shaped plateau. The Vatnajökull glacier was surrounded by towering mountains, some peaks exceeding 6,000 feet in elevation.

Looking out from here, everything was a blanket of white—the ground was white, and so was the sky.

The glacier's scenery resembled a white miracle. Standing amidst it, while appreciating the beauty, one couldn't help but feel the cold harshness, like a venomous snake.

No wonder Stephen Sommers chose this place as the headquarters of Cobra and insisted on filming on location.

The cold harshness perfectly matched the essence of Cobra.

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