Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

The year 2011 slipped away quietly.

On February 26, 2012, the 84th Academy Awards took place at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles, California, hosted by Billy Crystal. The event was broadcast live by ABC to over 200 countries and regions.

The Artist won Best Picture, with Michel Hazanavicius taking Best Director and Jean Dujardin claiming Best Actor. Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson's partner, won Best Actress for The Iron Lady, produced by Myers Pictures.

On stage, Meryl's speech was heartfelt, thanking Martin as she once thanked Harvey Weinstein. "Oh, my goodness. Okay. Thank you, thank you," she began, emotional. "When they read my name, I swear I could hear half of America groaning, 'Oh, come on! Her again?' But, you know, whatever."

She continued, "First, I thank my husband, Don. You don't thank your husband last, or the music drowns him out. Don, everything precious in my life comes from you." Then, she thanked her collaborator of 37 years, Roy Howland, a master hairstylist and makeup artist who worked with her from Sophie's Choice to The Iron Lady, earning Best Makeup for the latter. "I also thank my colleagues, my friends, old and new. I see my life before me."

Finally, she turned to Martin. "Thank you, Martin, for choosing this old gal. Should I say 'I love you' to keep with tradition? Nah, to avoid a fight with Nicole, I'll pass." The audience laughed. Meryl's mind flashed to overhearing Martin that late night, a warmth stirring within her. She pressed her thighs together to avoid embarrassment and continued, "Martin told me, 'Only you could capture this role's essence.' Praise from America's genius? I was thrilled."

The camera panned to Martin, smiling and clapping. He'd meant those words. Meryl wasn't chosen for her ties to Nicholson—her acting was unmatched among Hollywood's leading ladies. In The Iron Lady, her speech as Margaret Thatcher was so authentic, her voice and accent indistinguishable from the real Thatcher, a masterclass in performance.

Post-Oscars, The Avengers and The Hunger Games kicked off presales nearly simultaneously. Surprisingly, The Hunger Games outperformed The Avengers. On Fandango, it set a presale record, with 83% of tickets sold out before release, surpassing Twilight's record.

With neither film yet released, quality was untested, but the numbers showed Hunger Games fans were more eager than Marvel's.

By March, both films launched aggressive promotional campaigns. Jennifer Lawrence made her TV singing debut, performing Rue's Lullaby from The Hunger Games, which was warmly received.

May arrived—specifically May 4, 2012.

The Avengers premiered on schedule.

A bold Marvel innovation, it united multiple popular superheroes from the comics into a team-up epic. Ensemble films are notoriously hard to pull off, risking a chaotic mess.

But Martin nailed it. Exceptionally so.

At test screenings, Avi Arad and Stan Lee were riveted, praising the film's pacing, script, and effects. Still, without market validation, Arad, the project's overseer, remained nervous. During the premiere, he kept glancing at the audience. Only when "Motherfucker" Nick Fury declared the Avengers' formation, sparking thunderous applause, did he relax.

Stan Lee leaned in, teasing, "You should've trusted the kid."

Arad replied, "Easy to say. I trust Martin—why else hire him? But until the results are in, nerves are inevitable. And don't act like you weren't sweating. How many times did you wipe your brow since the film started?"

The Avengers' story was straightforward: Exiled trickster Loki, coveting Earth, leads the Chitauri army in an invasion. S.H.I.E.L.D., caught off-guard, relies on Nick Fury, who realizes no single force can stop it. He assembles six superheroes—Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye—forming the Avengers to fend off the dark forces.

Balancing so many characters is exponentially challenging, but Martin gave each hero clear, crisp moments without muddying the hierarchy or pacing. Explosive action, stunning effects, and well-timed humor—sprinkled with cheeky profanity—made many viewers prefer this over solo superhero films.