The richest actor in Hollywood.

"Disney wants the Marvel shares I hold?" Matthew played it cool. "I'm just a small shareholder. Why me?"

Robert Iger appeared sincere, emphasizing again, "You're not a small shareholder; you're a major one." He smiled and answered, "It's because of your fame and influence."

Matthew understood the implication behind his words and replied, "Bob, since Disney is preparing to acquire Marvel, you must know that ever since *Iron Man* had a huge opening weekend, Marvel's stock price has been steadily rising. No one is willing to easily sell their Marvel shares now."

"Disney is very sincere," Robert Iger said, having come prepared. "Disney is willing to buy your shares at a 10% premium over the market price."

Matthew just smiled and didn't say anything.

Robert Iger continued, "If Disney completes the acquisition, it will honor all the agreements you've signed with Marvel."

"Bob, I'm not short on cash right now," Matthew stated bluntly. "The agreements I signed with Marvel are all legally binding and protected."

His words made it clear that he wasn't satisfied with the conditions Disney was offering.

Robert Iger, however, smiled. His previous remarks had been more of a probe. From Matthew's response, it wasn't hard to tell that Matthew wasn't completely against selling his Marvel shares.

After Matthew subtly hinted that negotiations were possible, he added, "Marvel's stock price has been rising. Even without speculating about the future, it will likely rise more than 10% by the end of this year, right?"

"We're old friends, Matthew," Robert Iger decided to be straightforward. "Why don't you tell me what you're thinking?"

Matthew didn't beat around the bush either and said, "I think the approach Disney used when acquiring Pixar was quite good."

Robert Iger immediately understood what Matthew was getting at. "A stock swap?"

"I'm very interested in becoming a Disney shareholder," Matthew said calmly.

Robert Iger thought for a moment and replied, "I can't give you an immediate answer."

Matthew nodded lightly. "What I mentioned is just an idea. I need to think it over too."

"That's fine," Robert Iger maintained his usual smile. "Let's stay in touch and discuss it further."

"Sure," Matthew agreed.

The two shook hands, and Matthew was the first to take his leave.

As Robert Iger watched Matthew walk away, he nodded slightly. Convincing Marvel's management wouldn't be difficult for Disney, but dealing with Marvel's many dispersed small shareholders would be more challenging. If they could break through with Matthew, it would make the subsequent work much easier.

The choice of a celebrity shareholder has far greater impact than that of an ordinary shareholder.

Disney's logic in acquiring Marvel wasn't complicated. During the acquisition of Pixar, Robert Iger realized that when Disney didn't have the advantage in production capabilities or media resources, acquisition was the simplest, most direct, and most effective method.

The success of *Iron Man* solidified Disney's determination to acquire Marvel.

Before this, Disney's assessment of Marvel was that its 5,000 characters were its greatest asset—a veritable gold mine waiting to be tapped.

With Disney's vast platform, Marvel's thousands of hero characters could be more effectively developed and expanded, while Disney's global distribution network would ensure they were showcased worldwide.

As Matthew left the golf club and headed to Burbank, he reflected on his conversation with Robert Iger. Disney was undoubtedly on the path to becoming a super entertainment conglomerate.

Looking at Hollywood's development over the decades, it was easy to see that apart from Walt Disney, all other Hollywood studios had changed hands multiple times, becoming part of large media conglomerates. Among the major Hollywood studios of the past, only Walt Disney had truly evolved into an entertainment media giant.

In the 1990s, Disney successively acquired Miramax and ABC Television. Entering the new century, after Robert Iger took the helm at Disney, he made a huge move by acquiring Pixar Studios for $7.4 billion in cash plus a 7% stake.

Even someone like Matthew, who wasn't particularly knowledgeable about business operations, could see that the establishment of Disney's entertainment empire hadn't happened overnight. But in critical moments, it always relied on acquisitions as a key strategy.

Disney's strategy could be understood as: when they couldn't effectively enter a specific content niche through their own business capabilities, acquisition was the most practical approach.

Disney couldn't acquire DC Comics from Warner Bros., so Marvel Comics was undoubtedly the best alternative.

When Matthew arrived at Angel Agency, he shared the general details of his conversation with Robert Iger with Helen Herman. Helen also supported his idea. If Walt Disney was set on acquiring Marvel Comics and Marvel's management wasn't opposed, the acquisition was highly likely to succeed.

"I also received some news," Helen Herman reminded Matthew. "Disney is not only interested in acquiring Marvel but also George Lucas's Lucasfilm."

Hearing this, Matthew immediately realized, "Disney wants to reboot the *Star Wars* series?"

Without hesitation, Helen Herman replied, "If you were to buy Lucasfilm, how would you maximize profits?"

The answer was obvious: the *Star Wars* series.

"I suggest," Helen Herman continued, "If possible, you should not only go for a stock swap with Disney, but also strive to secure a preemptive right to purchase shares during Disney's inevitable expansion."

Matthew nodded, "You've thought this through more thoroughly." He smiled and added, "Helen, I'll need you to handle the negotiations."

Helen Herman rarely complained, but she did this time, "This is beyond the scope of a typical agent's duties."

Matthew casually responded, "Then you can double as my manager."

Helen Herman pushed her glasses up without saying anything more. As soon as Matthew mentioned this, she was mentally prepared to represent him in the negotiations.

Matthew discussed more details with Helen Herman before leaving Angel Agency.

In fact, the commission Helen Herman could earn from Matthew had long surpassed what a typical agent would get. For instance, from the *Iron Man* investment alone, as Matthew's direct representative in negotiations with Marvel, she could earn a 10% commission on his investment profits.

During the new week, *Hancock* continued to dominate the North American film market, but with *The Dark Knight* set to release soon, the promotion for *Hancock* began to wind down. Warner Bros. was focusing more of its resources and energy on Christopher Nolan's new film.

*The Dark Knight*'s promotion was everywhere, and many people had joined the self-promotion of the film, driven by their admiration for Heath Ledger.

Warner Bros. wasn't about to miss the last opportunity to capitalize on someone's residual value.

The production team released a video of Heath Ledger auditioning for the Joker, where his terrifying appearance was as chilling as a ghost.

Soon after, more related videos appeared online.

"In order to portray this smiling killer well, I locked myself in a room for six weeks, constantly studying his voice and movements. You have to understand, he's a psychopath with no empathy at all."

An interview video of Heath Ledger was also released, reinforcing the image that the Joker had led to his demise. "During the filming in London, I couldn't sleep at night. Last week, I averaged only two hours of sleep per night. I couldn't stop my thoughts. Even though my body was exhausted, my mind kept running."

Christopher Nolan also stepped forward, saying that he felt responsible for Heath Ledger.

"When faced with grief, the hardest thing is not knowing what to do. So with Heath, I felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility. His departure is an unbearable pain for everyone, especially his family and friends. As a director, if you feel responsible for an actor, it's because his brilliance in front of the camera has captivated you."

Speaking to the media, Christopher Nolan inevitably became part of the marketing campaign. "When I was in the editing room and saw Ledger's Joker, I was suddenly electrified because we had no other choice. He left us with only these performances, so I knew I had to preserve the greatness he gave us."

Meanwhile, Joker merchandise became hot even before the movie's release. The action figures Warner Bros. released sold out quickly, reflecting the success of the promotional campaign.

In particular, Warner Bros. launched a half-scale Joker statue with waxwork-level head sculpt and perfect paintwork, limited to 1,000 units worldwide.

The statue sold out on the day of its release…

As a result, Hollywood and various film market analysts predicted that *The Dark Knight* would set a new box office record in North America.

Warner Bros. was delivering a nearly perfect promotional campaign.

Amid this excitement, the premiere of *The Dark Knight* was drawing closer. For the premiere, the red carpet would be replaced with a black carpet, and Warner Bros. even suggested that guests wear black formal attire to honor Heath Ledger, who died for his role.

This premiere would see many heavyweight stars in attendance.

Matthew even adjusted his schedule to personally pick up Emma Watson from the airport, planning to attend the *The Dark Knight* premiere together.

_________________________

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