"Uh—Isa—I might not have understood what you meant—"
Isabella's words left Kevin Feige somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean by selling toys through DC?"
"Did Warner sell DC to you? I remember what you got was the operating rights for the movies, wasn't it?"
It was no wonder Kevin Feige was so astonished. Isabella's answer had gone far beyond his expectations.
He had asked Isabella why she wanted to work on DC. She didn't say she liked DC, nor that she wanted to play a superhero. Instead, she said she wanted to sell toys through DC? In an essay, that answer would already be off-topic.
His confusion made Isabella laugh. "Oh, Kevin, you misunderstood. I didn't mean I would use DC to sell toys. I meant I want to use Warner's DC to increase the value of my own personal IP."
"You know the cartoon beaver, right?"
"You've seen the Transforming Beaver, right?"
"Those are the toys I want to make."
Isabella briefly explained the idea in her mind.
Once Kevin Feige understood that Isabella's interest in DC and Marvel was about mutual benefit through cooperation, his brows knitted together. After studying her for a long moment, he nodded with a helpless smile. "Oh, Isa, your idea really is beyond what I expected. I'll admit that before coming here, I never imagined you'd answer me like this."
"So her idea is a little bizarre, isn't it?" Catherine chimed in. "Kevin, honestly, when I first heard Isa's idea, I was just as shocked as you are." She waved her hands as she spoke, gesturing at how outlandish it had seemed. "At the time, I felt she was being fanciful—but you might not believe this—after she came up with the concept, Isa asked me to help design the toys. Do you want to see our drafts?"
"Ah—you've already designed them too—" Kevin Feige was truly shocked this time.
Margot Robbie, who had been eating nearby while quietly listening in, widened her eyes and looked at Catherine in surprise. "Keisha, you even have drawings for this?"
"Of course."
Catherine snapped her fingers at the assistants at the nearby table, signaling them to bring over the Apple laptop. Then the concept of Capybara Evolution—Iron Capy appeared before them. That cute, headless transformation left both of them dumbfounded.
After studying the design, Margot Robbie asked in confusion, "So—why is there a duck on this capybara's head? Is that Jarvis?"
"You could see it that way, but it's actually a pelican. This is the capybara's partner," Isabella said.
"Huh? Your capybara has a partner? Aren't they all the beaver's partners?"
At that moment, Kevin Feige felt as if his skull were throbbing—because Isabella's concept, in his eyes, seemed a little too large in scope.
On the subject of the pelican, Catherine had even more to say. She pointed at Iron Capy's head and said, "In the animation we designed, the pelican is the capybara's flying partner. If I had to describe it, their relationship is like Hagrid and his magical creatures in HP."
At present, the plot of the in-production Beaver Animation had already diverged somewhat from Isabella's original concept. Since Isabella and Catherine were not professional animation producers, certain plot points that seemed fine to them might not hold up in front of industry professionals, making some revisions inevitable. However, the plot point of Iron Capy riding a pelican remained intact, and Catherine shared the idea enthusiastically.
After hearing Catherine's description, Margot Robbie was immediately tickled by the two women's wild imagination and burst out laughing, while their unbridled creativity made Kevin Feige shake his head with a sigh.
"All right, I think I understand your idea. You want to use crossovers to give your IP more possibilities? And because the cartoon beaver is closely tied to Isa's image, you want the first crossover to appear in a live-action film? If that's the case—Isa—in your plan, your involvement in DC and Marvel would be a matter of quitting while you're ahead? You won't be involved throughout the whole process—once your goal is achieved, you'll withdraw?"
"Yeah~" Isabella smiled and nodded. "Kevin, you summarized it perfectly. So, do you have any ideas?"
"Honestly, what you're asking for is fairly difficult to achieve." Kevin Feige thought for a moment, then said plainly, "You don't want to participate throughout the whole process, you can't enter as an existing DC or Marvel character—you'd have to enter as an original one."
"And because your real goal is to show the public that your cartoon beaver, capybara, and groundhog can transform into superheroes—or rather, by using existing heroes' equipment, these animals can gain corresponding powers—the original character you want essentially needs the ability to copy other superheroes' powers."
"Now, a character like that already exists in Marvel: Taskmaster. If we create another similar original character, the work will feel very cluttered."
"But clutter isn't even the biggest problem. The real problem is that you want to appear in both DC and Marvel, and there's already a character in American comics who can do exactly that: Deathstroke's brother—Deadpool."
"Your requirements overlap with the established abilities of existing DC and Marvel characters, we can no longer create the original character you want, because no matter how we design them, the audience will feel pulled out of the story."
"So—Isa—I think you understand what I mean?" Kevin Feige spread his hands with a bitter smile.
Isabella, of course, understood.
As the saying goes, adaptation doesn't mean making things up, and creative reinterpretation doesn't mean talking nonsense. Superhero films are rooted in comics source material, creators cannot simply do as they please—they must respect the original settings. You cannot overturn everything and rebuild from scratch.
Creators can redesign an existing character to serve a film's plot—in Marvel Comics, Taskmaster is male, but in the MCU, Taskmaster is female, because "her" existence serves the origin story of Black Widow. Even so, no matter how bold Kevin Feige was, he didn't lay the female Taskmaster bare before the audience. In Black Widow, the character played by Olga Kurylenko wore a mask for nearly the entire film, with her face revealed in only a handful of scenes—and her abilities remained faithful to the source material.
Creators can also place beloved superheroes together in response to fan demand. In No Way Home, the three Spider-Men united as audiences had long wished. But beyond that, the film offered no real innovation—it told a familiar story with familiar villains. In fact, the script of No Way Home can scarcely be described as lacking innovation; the story's logic, particularly the characterization of Tom Holland's Spider-Man, borders on absurd. Marvel's reason was simple: every adaptation serves the plot, and what audiences are ultimately watching is still a Marvel movie. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a case of the product not matching its description?
Audiences walk into a theater for a superhero film, they want freshness within familiar territory—not the disorientation of carrying familiar memories into an unfamiliar story.
Isabella's requirements conflicted sharply with the foundational rules of DC and Marvel—
"Isa."
As Kevin Feige fell silent, Margot Robbie suddenly spoke.
"Hmm?"
Isabella turned toward her with a puzzled look.
"I think Kevin's description still isn't complete enough." Margot Robbie met Isabella's gaze and smiled. "Your goal is to have the beaver, capybara, and groundhog don all kinds of battle suits, you'd need to be looking down from a high vantage point. So I think the role most suited to you is actually the Watcher—only when your dimensional level is high enough can you look down from above."
"Oh! Margot! Are you insulting me?"
The moment Margot Robbie's words landed, Isabella's face fell. She reached out both hands and started tickling Margot Robbie's waist.
"Who are you calling big-headed!"
The tickling sensation made Margot Robbie cry out instantly. "Ah! Isa! Let me go!" She laughed while trying to resist—to little effect.
The Watcher that Margot Robbie mentioned is an ancient race in Marvel Comics. The earlier phases of the cinematic universe didn't involve many stories about gods, he hadn't appeared in the live-action films. He did, however, appear in the Marvel animated series What If…? Perhaps because his intelligence was portrayed as extraordinarily high—or perhaps out of respect for the source material—the Watcher in What If…? was distinctly unattractive, resembling an oversized bobblehead.
So when Margot Robbie suggested that the beaver could play the Watcher—hmph—Isabella was not pleased.
Whether it was the gravity of the matter at hand, or the fact that Margot Robbie's jab hadn't stung quite enough, Isabella eventually let her go and returned to the discussion with Kevin Feige. After thoroughly understanding his boss's vision, Kevin said he would need time to think before giving an answer. Since Isabella already knew her idea wouldn't be easy to execute, she agreed.
Not wanting to compromise the integrity of DC and Marvel, when she handed Kevin Feige the task of building both cinematic universes, she added: "Kevin, although I really do want to join the DC and Marvel cinematic universes, your core priority is still to ensure that both universes are established smoothly."
"The Marvel plan you wrote is excellent—no need to change it. There's no need to introduce mutants in the first few phases, even though the X-Men IP is already in my hands."
"When you design the DC Cinematic Universe, the core you need to anchor on is The Dark Knight. So, your primary concern shouldn't be how to include me—it should be how to make the story more compelling and coherent."
"So—and I mean if—if you truly can't work me into the DC and Marvel films, then I don't have to be in them. HP still has a long run ahead, and besides Marvel and DC, SW is also in my hands now."
"Yes, you heard right. Star Wars is also mine. I spoke with Steven Spielberg—he said if I really film SW, he'll direct. He'll handle all the copyright issues; all he has to do is call George."
"So don't feel pressured."
Isabella made her true position clear—that joining the DC and Marvel universes would be ideal, but not essential—the weight that had been pressing on Kevin Feige's chest since hearing Isabella's unconventional idea finally lifted. He nodded repeatedly in relief and took his leave.
With his departure, Isabella once again settled into a leisurely pace.
Well—
All right—
That was wishful thinking.
As Isabella's subordinate, Kevin Feige might not ask when she had acquired Star Wars. But as Isabella's devoted fan, and as someone who had known Isabella for nearly six years, Margot Robbie transformed immediately into a question mark on legs, waving it frantically in Isabella's face.
Sure enough, Kevin Feige had barely left before Margot Robbie started prying. She learned that Isabella's hold over SW had come after Rupert Murdoch's exit from the scene—
"Oh—I see—"
Margot Robbie had a moment of "sudden clarity."
"What do you see?"
Her theatrical reaction made Isabella curious.
"I see that the current you is already unstoppable!" Margot Robbie said, with exaggerated solemnity, "Even Rupert Murdoch can be driven out of the entertainment industry because of you, you're an invincible force in this business. So—from now on, I'm relying on you!"
"..."
Isabella was speechless. "The way you say that—were you not relying on me before? Weren't all your projects given to you by me?" She rolled her eyes.
Margot Robbie shook her head. "That's different. My previous projects were given to me by you, yes—but the past is the past and the future is the future."
"Back then, when you gave me projects, profitability came first. If something couldn't make money, you hesitated. Everything you had in this industry was built on your ability to generate profit."
"But going forward, you can do whatever you want. Even if a project can't make money, as long as you believe in it, you can still give it to me— your influence is no longer tied to profit margins."
"So, as your best friend and Beaver Entertainment's number-one employee, won't I have a lot more freedom? And if I gain more freedom by relying on you, doesn't it make sense to rely on you even more?"
That lengthy speech left Isabella stunned.
Vivian and Catherine burst out laughing—because the smug, gleeful way Margot Robbie had claimed the title of legitimate eldest bestie was simply too adorable.
Time flowed like water.
After about a week in Chile, Isabella flew to Argentina and threw herself into the Pampas. Though the region is world-famous for its farming and livestock, the grassland is so vast that herders couldn't possibly occupy all of it, and the untouched stretches were still breathtakingly beautiful. Deer, wolves, foxes, and ostriches could be spotted practically everywhere across the open plain.
What surprised Isabella most was discovering capybaras on the plateau.
When one group of little creatures bumped into another—the "Chestnuts" raised by Isabella and her companions were instantly dumbfounded, no matter how they looked, the capybaras in front of them and the ones beside them appeared nearly identical.
While Isabella vacationed, the outside world kept moving.
First: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, released at the end of July, became a box-office phenomenon. Originally scheduled for July 7, it had been pushed back two weeks to avoid competing directly with Prada. Less than half a month after release, its North American box office had already surpassed $286 million—higher than Avatar: Fire and Ash—while its global box office stood at $715 million. Barring anything unexpected, crossing one billion was only a matter of time. If it did, Dead Man's Chest would become the fourth film in history to surpass one billion worldwide, after Titanic, Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire Part One. Whether it could claim the year's global box-office crown would depend on Goblet of Fire Part Two's performance at year's end.
Second: The International Astronomical Union redefined the term "planet" at its 26th General Assembly—and stripped Pluto of its planetary status, reclassifying it as a dwarf planet.
The announcement shook the world. It wasn't only because the decision would require sweeping revisions to science and education textbooks globally, but because NASA had just launched the New Horizons probe toward Pluto that very January. The Pluto exploration project was regarded across the global scientific community as the highest-priority mission in its class—its significance widely seen as surpassing even lunar and Jovian exploration. And now, just as NASA had committed to studying Pluto up close, the IAU had stripped it of its planetary standing?
NASA was the first to publicly object—and loudly.
Pluto holds a unique place in scientific history: it was a planet calculated into existence through Newtonian classical mechanics, and over a century passed between its theoretical prediction and its actual discovery. Pluto's existence validated the accuracy of Newtonian mechanics—which is precisely why the scientific community had always held it in such high regard. And at the very moment everyone was finally ready to observe it up close, the IAU moved to demote it?
The backlash was swift and scathing, igniting a cross-disciplinary storm of criticism.
While NASA was busy denouncing the IAU, Google officially completed its acquisition of YouTube. Although Isabella's shareholding was already large enough to affect Google's operating structure and asset distribution—making it a matter requiring SEC disclosure—stock registration takes time. With Google's formal takeover occurring in late August, registration could be pushed to September, and disclosure could follow the next year, since September and October straddle the fiscal year. A freeze and settlement period was also involved.
With careful timing, a great deal could be accomplished—including cashing out or redistributing equity before regulatory oversight kicked in.
On the surface, this artificial delay seemed pointless. Isabella had no intention of hiding her Google holdings, nor of cashing out. But leaving a back door open is standard practice among large companies. With a back door in place, any unexpected development could be handled flexibly. Without one, any sudden need for an early exit would be far harder to execute once SEC supervision was active.
Google's handling of the matter was quietly meticulous.
To the public, however, this was simply the formal debut of a new tycoon—and people marveled once again at Isabella's extraordinary luck, wondering when they, too, might wake up wealthy overnight.
August 31, 2006.
As August gave way to September, Isabella returned to Britain, burrowing back into Leavesden and nestling into the crew of Order of the Phoenix.
She had expected it to be a smooth, easy job.
No one anticipated—no one anticipated at all—that on her very first day back, she would be greeted with unwelcome news.
"What did you say? Starting today, I have to work eight hours?"
Isabella's eyes went wide as she stared at Chris Columbus in disbelief.
Chris Columbus smiled and nodded. "Yeah~ Now that you've passed your exams, there's no one in the crew who still needs tutoring."
"So—Isa—"
"Congratulations. You've grown up."