"Mr. Meyers, can you answer my question? Why are you looking for me?"
"Because you're the right fit."
Martin's answer surprised Robert Downey Jr.
"Mr. Meyers—"
"Call me Martin, Robert."
"Alright, Martin," Robert shrugged. "Is it really that simple?"
"Yes, it is. Iron Man is a playboy, and so are you. Iron Man is witty and sharp-tongued—I've already experienced that myself. Iron Man has faced serious setbacks, and so have you. Iron Man turned his life around and found love with Pepper Potts… and you have Susan."
As Martin went on, Robert Downey Jr.'s eyes gradually lit up. Isn't this me he's describing?Iron Man and I are so alike… maybe I should buy a few comics and read up on him later?
"So, that's why I came to you," Martin concluded, spreading his hands. "Any more questions?"
"Nope." Robert shook his head, then paused. "Well, maybe one more—what about my pay?"
Susan Downey, sitting beside him, gently nudged his arm, signaling him not to bring that up.
But Robert smiled and said, "You know, I'm broke. I don't need a fortune, I just want to know—how much are you offering?"
Jeff Raymond looked a bit surprised. "Shouldn't your agent be discussing that with me?"
Robert let out a self-deprecating laugh. "My agent… oh, I do have one. But I haven't seen him in ages. I haven't even called him. Honestly, I'm not sure he still counts."
Martin laughed. "Man, why are you still keeping someone like that around? Fire him—don't let him take a cut of your salary."
"I'm thinking the same." Robert shrugged. "I'll call him as soon as you guys leave. So… what's the pay?"
"Haha!" Martin grinned. This guy was truly entertaining—cheeky, playful, and a little bit of a clown.
"Half a million dollars."
That was a lot of money for Robert Downey Jr. at the time.
"Deal. I'm happy with that. I'll go call that guy right now."
Robert laughed, nodded, and pulled out his phone, not wanting to waste a second.
"Hey, I forgot your last name… you're still my agent, right? Well, you're fired. Come over tomorrow to sign the release paperwork!"
He yanked the phone away from his ear just as a stream of expletives exploded from the other end.
When they finally left Robert Downey Jr.'s place, it was already four in the afternoon.
"We were there for four hours?" Jeff Raymond was a bit stunned. "Didn't feel like that long."
"That guy knows how to talk," Martin said, then added, "By the way, Jeff, if you trust me, sign that guy tomorrow. He's going to make you a fortune."
In Martin's memory, after Iron Man launched Robert Downey Jr. back into stardom, he landed major endorsements and ad deals. His salary shot to the top tier of Hollywood's A-listers, and he even started taking backend profits. In less than a decade, he raked in half a billion dollars. The man was a money-printing machine.
"Alright. I'll sign him tomorrow," Jeff agreed without hesitation.
If Iron Man had been a fully Meyers Pictures production, Martin would've signed Robert for multiple films while he was still cheap.
But Iron Man was technically a Marvel property.
And after the first movie became a hit, Martin knew his company might struggle to stay involved in the sequels.
So he decided to treat this project as a one-off blockbuster he could direct. A résumé piece.
As for whether Robert would be earning $20 million or $50 million per movie later—well, Martin wasn't going to worry about that.
…
After firing his agent, Robert Downey Jr. signed with Jeff Raymond of CAA, who took over his representation and secured a small cut from Iron Man.
By now, Jeff Raymond wasn't fussing over tens of thousands of dollars.
Martin had told him that if Iron Man blew up, Robert would be hailed by the media as the quintessential Hollywood "Prodigal Son" who made a miraculous comeback.
And for the sequels? The pay wouldn't just go up tenfold—it could multiply fifty or even a hundred times.
Jeff wasn't about to trip over pennies and miss the gold mine. He made sure to leave a solid impression on Robert Downey Jr. from the start.
Soon after, news broke that Robert had signed with CAA's documentary boss Jeff Raymond and officially joined the Iron Man project, co-produced by Marvel Pictures and Meyers Pictures.
That's when Robert's former agent realized what he'd lost.
Unable to accept it, he began trash-talking to the media, claiming he'd stood by Robert through thick and thin, and now Robert had heartlessly dumped him after getting his big break…
CAA Office – Jeff Raymond's Desk
"Ha! Dumped? Is this guy for real? Sounds like a bitter ex-girlfriend!" Robert sneered, tossing the newspaper aside.
"Ignore that kind of trash. I'll take care of it," Jeff Raymond said dismissively.
For someone like Jeff, squashing a minor agent was effortless.
By the next day, that ex-agent's name had vanished from the headlines.
A month later, he'd disappeared from the Hollywood agency world entirely.
And meanwhile, the Iron Man production began its full-scale preparations.
…
Judy Howards, a journalist at The New York Times, had been investigating the workplace experiences of women since 2001.
Over time, she discovered that because most women couldn't break into the core leadership circles, those who wanted to climb the ladder often had to sacrifice more—sometimes even their own bodies.
And nowhere was this more evident than in Hollywood.
Recently, Judy had been working with several actresses, hoping they'd come forward and share their stories—shining a light on the brutal realities of the industry.
But no one dared speak.
She, too, had received ominous calls and threats… even subtle warnings from media execs.
Just when Judy thought her investigation had hit a wall, something changed.
She received an anonymous letter.