Aside from the casting of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, the other two roles personally decided by Gilbert were Obadiah Stane and Colonel Rhodes.
Obadiah Stane was still played by Jeff Bridges, but for Colonel Rhodes, Gilbert decided not to use Terrence Howard.
Since Don Cheadle's performance in the second movie of the previous timeline had been excellent, Gilbert simply extended an invitation to Don Cheadle this time.
Don Cheadle had no reason to refuse. Earlier that year, he had been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for Hotel Rwanda. He had also worked with George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the Ocean's Eleven series.
It was worth mentioning that Naomi Watts had once beaten out Julia Roberts to star in that same series, so she had, in a sense, worked with Don Cheadle before.
One of the challenges Black actors faced was that, in large-scale commercial films, they were usually only offered supporting roles.
Only a few lucky ones—like Will Smith—ever got the chance to land leading roles in major blockbusters.
As an actor, it wasn't just about pursuing so-called cinematic art; most still wanted to make their mark in the commercial film industry.
So Don Cheadle didn't hesitate—he gladly accepted the offer.
The film differed from its previous version in that Gilbert made a few changes to the script, allowing Scarlett's Black Widow to appear as early as the first installment.
Although her screen time wouldn't be long, it was still a crucial role.
After returning home, Gilbert said to Scarlett, "This is an opportunity. You've been stuck doing art films for too long. This time, you've got a real chance."
Scarlett pouted and said, "But I have The Island this year. Doesn't that count as a commercial film?"
Gilbert shook his head. "Scarlett, I can tell you right now—the box office for that movie won't exceed two hundred million dollars."
"You mean it won't exceed two hundred million in North America?" Scarlett asked.
"No, I mean it won't exceed two hundred million worldwide." Seeing Scarlett's disbelief, Gilbert continued, "If I remember correctly, that film had quite a big budget—around 120 million dollars.
At that rate, it might not even make back its costs. That's no exaggeration."
"Seriously?" Scarlett was stunned. "I think Michael Bay is still pretty capable. He might not be as good as you, but he's still a decent commercial director.
He can't possibly mess up The Island, right?"
"Really?" Gilbert said. "Let me guess—Michael Bay probably used a ton of explosion shots during filming, right? Lots of car chases and gunfire?"
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, aren't those must-have elements for action blockbusters? Explosions, car chases, gunfights, luxury cars, and beautiful women."
It seemed Scarlett considered herself one of those beautiful women—apparently counting herself among the selling points.
"Sure, everyone knows those are standard elements of action films," Gilbert replied. "But do you think other directors don't know that too?"
"I…" Scarlett was speechless for a moment.
Gilbert continued, "Do you remember what you saw the first time you came to one of my sets?"
"Explosions, car chases, handsome guys, and beautiful women," Scarlett said, ticking them off with her fingers.
"Exactly," Gilbert said. "But that was something I played around with over ten years ago. A decade later, I've already moved past that formula. Yet Michael Bay is still repeating himself.
With so many similar movies flooding the market, audiences are already tired of it. Tell me, how can a film like that not fail?"
"Then what should I do?" Scarlett asked anxiously. "This is my first leading role in a commercial film—am I just going to fail like that?"
"That's why I created the role of Agent Romanoff for you," Gilbert said. "Trust me, Scarlett, this character will make you one of Hollywood's top actresses."
Scarlett certainly believed him. She clung to Gilbert's arm and said playfully, "You said it! If it doesn't work out, you'll have to make it up to me."
"Of course," Gilbert smiled. "I'll make it up to you—seriously."
Once the main cast was confirmed, Kevin Feige and Cameron Diaz quickly began negotiations with the actors and their agents over the contracts.
As the lead, Robert Downey Jr. had no leverage to negotiate. His salary was only $500,000. Kate Beckinsale, who had recently flopped in several major films, was paid just $300,000.
Ironically, Scarlett—thanks to her connection with Gilbert—received $200,000, even though her role was relatively small.
Another actor with a slightly higher salary was Don Cheadle, on the same level as Robert Downey Jr.
There was no helping it—aside from a few Black actors like Will Smith and Denzel Washington, most others simply couldn't command high salaries.
To better prepare for the role of Black Widow, Scarlett voluntarily began training with Gilbert's go-to action choreographer, Luca Farias, right after signing her contract.
"Scarlett works very hard, but her physique and body type limit her natural ability in this area," Luca Farias told Gilbert.
Gilbert couldn't deny it—a woman with such a voluptuous figure defying the laws of physics to become a hand-to-hand combat expert was a bit far-fetched.
But movies weren't reality. Just as in The Matrix, the original Trinity had a physique that better fit a professional fighter, yet audiences preferred the sultry and stunning Charlize Theron.
The reason was simple—viewers favored a sexy, alluring Trinity over one that merely obeyed the laws of physics.
The same logic applied to Agent Romanoff—a curvy Black Widow would always be more popular than a flat one.
Of course, aside from a few relatively simple action scenes, most of the difficult stunts would be handled by doubles. Gilbert didn't want Scarlett getting hurt—it would upset him.
Aside from Scarlett, Robert Downey Jr. was also undergoing training with Luca Farias.
When he saw Gilbert arrive, he immediately greeted him. "Hello, Director Gilbert."
"Hello," Gilbert replied. "How's the training going?"
Robert Downey Jr. smiled. "Very well. Luca's incredibly professional—he's taught me a lot of useful moves. I really value this chance; it's rare."
"That's good. Downey, you must understand—every opportunity in Hollywood is extremely rare," Gilbert said. "You've been to the top before—you won't have forgotten what that feels like.
So I hope you won't waste this chance. Work hard."
"Don't worry, I'll make the most of it," Robert Downey Jr. promised.
The Downey family was infamous in Hollywood for its history of addiction—from Robert Downey Sr. to Robert Downey Jr., and even to Robert Downey Jr.'s son, all had struggled with dependency.
At that time, North American society was still far less tolerant of drug use than it would be a decade later, and the government's anti-drug measures were still strict. Because of that, Robert Downey Jr. had actually spent time in prison.
Now, however, he had turned his life around—a prodigal son returning home. Luckily, it wasn't too late, and he had managed to land this opportunity. That said a lot.
After chatting with Robert Downey Jr. for a while, Gilbert went to check on Scarlett's training.
Dressed in a black workout suit, Scarlett was meticulously following her instructor's commands, practicing each move with focus.
Thanks to her commitment to yoga, her flexibility was excellent. Every motion she made was smooth and elegant—pleasing to the eye in every sense.
....
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