….
Leo Martinez spoke from his position near the window. "For what it's worth, the clip quality is terrible. You can barely make out details. It's clearly Stephen, but the context is lost. People don't know if he's dying, leaving, or just having an emotional conversation."
"Small mercies." Regal muttered.
Darren leaned forward. "So what's our play? We can't ignore this, but we also can't confirm it without looking like we're just responding to a leak."
The room fell silent as everyone waited for Regal's decision.
He stared at the frozen image of Stephen on screen - that devastating final look, now viewed by hundreds of thousands of people without context, without the build-up, without the emotional architecture that made it meaningful.
This was the nightmare scenario every director feared. Losing control of the narrative. Having your careful preparation and strategic planning destroyed by one person with a phone and an internet connection.
"We say nothing." Regal said finally.
"Nothing?" Samantha looked surprised.
"Let them speculate." Regal turned to face the room. "Here's why: if we confirm now, we look reactive. Like we're scrambling to control damage. It undermines the marketing campaign we've been building."
"But if we deny it—" Simon started.
"We don't deny it either. We simply don't acknowledge it exists." Regal's voice was firm. "The media will run with speculation either way. Our silence becomes part of the story. Is Stephen really in the film? Why won't the studio confirm? That question generates more interest than a simple yes or no."
Leo nodded slowly. "Let the mystery build anticipation."
"This is simply patchwork to control the damage. We will make our official announcement when we are ready, on our terms, with proper context and marketing support. Until then, this clip is just an unverified rumor."
Darren spoke up. "What about internally? The crew is going to be shaken by this."
"That's my next stop." Regal checked his watch. "But first, I want that culprit found. Darren, Simon - you have forty eight hours. Use every resource we have. Whoever did this violated their NDA and potentially cost this production millions in controlled marketing value. I want consequences."
"Understood." They both said in unison.
….
Evening | Superman Set.
Regal called an all-hands meeting on set.
The entire crew gathered - grips, electricians, camera operators, wardrobe, makeup, everyone. Over a hundred people crowded into the soundstage, their faces showing a mixture of guilt, anxiety, and anger.
Henry stood with the core cast members near the front. Even Stephen Sr. had returned, despite his shooting being complete, when he heard about the meeting.
Regal stood on an apple box so everyone could see him.
"By now, you have all heard about the leak." His voice carried across the silent soundstage. "A five-second clip from yesterday's shoot is circulating online. Security is investigating, and we will find who did this."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"But that's not why I called this meeting. I want to address something more important: trust."
The crowd shifted uncomfortably.
"When we started this production, we made decisions about secrecy that some of you probably found excessive. Skeleton crews, NDAs, restricted access to footage. Some of you might have thought I was being paranoid."
Regal's voice hardened slightly.
"This leak proves I wasn't paranoid enough. Someone in this room, or someone who had access to this set, decided their desire for internet clout was more important than the hundreds of people working to make this film special."
"But here is what I want you to understand: I am not going to turn this set into a police state. I am not going to start treating everyone like a suspect, because that's how you poison a creative environment."
He looked across the gathered faces.
"Starting today, we are implementing stricter security protocols. No personal phones on set. New ID checks at entry points. These changes protect all of you as much as they protect the production."
"But more importantly, I need you to police yourselves. If you see someone recording footage they shouldn't, say something. If you hear someone bragging about having leaked material, report them. This production works because we're a team. One person's selfish decision hurts everyone."
Stephen stepped forward, which surprised everyone... no one expected him to join today's sets.
His shorts were already done.
Regal gestured for him to speak.
"I came back from retirement for this film." Stephen's voice carried the same gravity it did on camera. "Not because I needed the money or the attention, but because I believed in what we are creating here."
He looked across the crew.
"That belief requires trust. Trust that everyone involved is committed to making the best film possible, not to getting Instagram likes. Whoever leaked that footage betrayed that trust."
Stephen's voice grew harder.
"But I am not leaving. I am going to be here for ADR sessions, for marketing appearances, for whatever this production needs. Because I still believe in this film. I still believe in this team. Don't let one person's bad decision destroy that."
The crew erupted in spontaneous applause.
Regal let it continue for a moment, then raised a hand for silence.
"Back to work, everyone. We have got a movie to finish. And it's going to be so good that five leaked seconds won't matter compared to the full experience."
….
Later that day.
The set transformed.
New security checkpoints appeared at every entrance - professional guards with metal detecting wands and phone-sniffing technology. Clear plastic bags were provided for anyone who needed their phone for emergencies, to be stored in a locked area and retrieved after wrap.
The crew adjusted. Some grumbled, but most understood the necessity.
Henry approached Regal during a lighting setup. "How are you really doing with this?"
Regal was honest. "Angry, frustrated. But mostly disappointed. We did everything right, and it still wasn't enough."
"Stephen seems okay with it."
"Stephen's been in this industry for fifty years. He has seen worse." Regal watched the lighting team work. "But yeah, the fact that he came back today when he didn't have to? That meant something to the crew."
"It meant something to me too." Henry said quietly. "The way he spoke about trust and belief... that's the Jonathan Kent energy we need on screen."
Regal smiled slightly. "Method acting through crisis management. That's a new one."
….
Day 3 after leak.
Simon approached Regal during lunch break, his expression grim.
"We have identified the leaker." Simon reported. "Third-year production assistant, twenty-three. Slipped out with their personal phone during a bathroom break, came back, and positioned themselves behind the monitors at the exact moment the scene played."
Regal's jaw tightened. "What proof do we have?"
"Plenty. Upload logs trace straight back to their device. Security footage shows them standing in the blind spot they thought we didn't know about. And they bragged about it on a Discord server that… wasn't nearly as private as they assumed."
Regal didn't need a pause. "Legal already moving?"
"Papers will be on their doorstep by the end of business."
"Good."
But as Simon walked away, Regal felt no satisfaction. They'd found the culprit, yes. They'd taken action. But the damage was done. The clip was out there, being analyzed and discussed and stripped of all the context that made it meaningful.
All they could do now was move forward.
….
One Week Later.
The dust had settled somewhat.
The leaked clip continued circulating, but newer controversies had captured the internet's attention span. The crew had adjusted to the stricter security protocols. The fired production assistant had become a cautionary tale whispered about in film school classes and industry circles.
And still, Regal released no official statement about Stephen's involvement.
The speculation continued. Was he really in the film? How big was his role? What was that scene about?
Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story:
"The Mystery Of Stephen Hawking's Return—Or Did He?"
Inside, industry analysts debated the strategic benefits of maintaining silence versus confirming the casting. Some praised Regal's restraint. Others called it stubbornness.
Regal ignored all of it.
In his hotel room late one night, he reviewed dailies from the day's shoot - the Metropolis battle sequence, Henry fighting Zod's forces while desperately trying to minimize civilian casualties.
….
Meanwhile, a similar, but entirely different security issue had popped up on the set of [Deadpool], another project under Regal's overall production umbrella.
A grainy photo of Ryan Reynolds in a partial, messy Deadpool costume had appeared on a few comic book sites, followed by a leaked screenshot of a stunt sequence involving a taco truck.
Regal received the security report on his desk, but he wasn't the least bit bothered by it. He simply scanned the report and dropped it into the recycling bin.
He didn't need Legal or Security to launch a massive investigation. He knew precisely where the responsibility lay.
The leak felt almost too planned.
It arrived precisely when the public speculation was peaking about how many high-profile movies Regal was currently involved in and affecting.
This wasn't damage control; it was a deliberate marketing spike.
Given Ryan Reynolds' personality - known for his relentless, meta-marketing antics that treated the entire promotional campaign as an extension of the film itself.
Regal was absolutely certain the whole thing was an intentional, carefully manufactured promotional tactic. It was less a security failure and more a calculated, pre-approved risk taken for maximum engagement.
With no chaos, and legal firestorm. Just a little nudge to keep the audience interested.
That was the fundamental difference between the pure artistic integrity of [Superman] and the chaotic, self-aware marketing machine of [Deadpool].
And Regal wouldn't lose a minute of sleep over the latter.
He smiled slightly, recognizing the effective, if unconventional, strategy. He had far bigger problems to worry about than a planned taco truck picture.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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