Chapter 2

Xu Can, because of his overly upright character, faced exclusion from teachers and the academy.

Some big shots even put out the word that he would never graduate from the Beijing Film Academy and would never receive any film offers in the industry for the rest of his life!

His peaceful life was completely disrupted.

If Xu Can wanted to continue his studies, he would have to bow to them.

In a fit of anger, he suspended his studies and came to North America, across the ocean, intending to make a living in Hollywood.

He never expected that after running bit parts for half a year, he would pass the audition and land the role of 'Spider-Man'!

Seeing that he couldn't sway Xu Can, agent Happy Maguire sighed softly and forced a smile.

"Alright, you can report to the set tomorrow."

"Thanks, Happy."

"Good luck, I hope your choice is the right one."

"Don't worry, Happy. You can't imagine what kind of work this is!" ===== CHAPTER 4 =====

Hollywood, Wilshire Boulevard.

Xu Can threw on a shirt and jeans, rode his bicycle for a full 10 kilometers, and finally arrived at the Sony Pictures headquarters.

Just as he entered, he almost bumped into a scruffy, middle-aged white man.

"Hello, Marc."

"Hey, Xu! You're here. I was just about to call your agent."

He was the director of 'The Amazing Spider-Man', Marc Webb, who had previously directed the romance film '(500) Days of Summer'.

During the audition, Marc Webb had seen that Xu Can was of Chinese descent and almost found an excuse to drive him away.

Fortunately, he kept his patience and was willing to give Xu Can a chance.

The audition results were unexpected and completely overturned Marc Webb's perception,

to the point where he was willing to withstand public opposition and insist on having Xu Can, an Asian actor, play the household-name superhero—Spider-Man!

Fortunately, Xu Can's appearance was handsome, with sharp, three-dimensional features,

and he possessed a "boy-next-door" vibe,

which was highly similar to Peter Parker in the comics.

He believed the vast fan base would definitely be satisfied with his casting!

"Let's go, I'll take you to say hello to the crew. Everyone is here today, so we'll start the script reading session directly. It might be a bit tiring."

"Alright, no problem."

Xu Can wasn't afraid of being tired; this was the film he had chosen himself, so no matter how hard or tiring it was, he was happy.

"Hey, Emma, let me introduce you. This handsome Asian guy is your partner, Bright Xu! And this beautiful girl is..."

Led by the director, Xu Can saw a blonde girl with very fair skin.

What left the deepest impression was her large eyes; she looked like she had walked right out of an anime.

Emma Stone, aka "Stone Sister," playing Gwen Stacy in 'The Amazing Spider-Man', and the lead in 'La La Land'.

Xu Can was all too familiar with her.

At this time, Stone Sister was only 18, her young skin very supple.

"No need for introductions... Hello, Ms. Stone, I'm a fan of yours."

Xu Can wore a sunny smile and shook her hand generously.

It was clear that Emma Stone was pleasantly surprised, yet somewhat at a loss.

The oriental boy in front of her left a great impression,

but she had only appeared in two American TV shows so far, and only as bit parts with no screen time.

He actually knew her?

"Hello, Mr. Bright..."

"You can call me Xu Can."

"Xu... Can?"

"Yeah, your Chinese is great."

Xu Can gave up on correcting the pronunciation; he would teach her slowly later.

As the two new actors interacted, director Marc Webb stood to the side with his arms crossed, a motherly smile on his face.

A deputy director passed by, looking a bit surprised.

"Hey, Marc, what are you doing?"

"Don't you think this scene is sweet? It feels great, doesn't it?"

As a former romance director, Marc Webb was quite sensitive to the interaction between the male and female leads.

There was chemistry from the very first contact; he felt he had found the right leads!

In his initial conception, he intended to use Mary Jane, Peter Parker's wife from the original work, as the female lead.

Later, the writing team talked a lot with Xu Can about the creation of 'Spider-Man',

and discovered that Spider-Man's first love, Gwen Stacy, had more to offer!

With the final decision from Mr. Stan Lee,

producer Avi Arad gathered the writers to revise the script overnight,

changing the female lead to Gwen Stacy!

The '02 version of 'Spider-Man' was indeed the most classic version,

but the romantic subplot was truly criticized, with MJ being portrayed as a fickle "green tea" character.

After changing the female lead, the romantic subplot flowed much more smoothly.

This was also one of the reasons he insisted on choosing Xu Can;

Xu Can's understanding of the film was even deeper than many of the writers!

"Alright, everyone is basically here. Let's get ready to start the script reading session."

"'Spider-Man' first script reading session, now starting!"

In the Sony Pictures conference room, director Marc Webb and a group of actors sat in a circle.

Everyone held a script, their expressions quite serious.

Before official filming, the lead cast reading through the script helped enhance their understanding of the characters and facilitated subsequent filming.

At the same time, it was a chance to test the actors' performances.

Actors could also make a better impression on the director, perhaps gaining more favor.

"...Rainy night, Aunt May holds young Parker, looking out the window, reflecting Parker's immature and uneasy face..."

"Scene transition, Peter Parker has grown into a high school student... He is staring blankly at a photo, but his head is hit by a basketball flying from off-screen..."

Director Marc Webb finished reading the voice-over, and it was now Xu Can's turn to read his lines.

Xu Can prepared for a long moment, just as he was about to speak!

His brain seemed to be pierced by a flash of inspiration!

A strange electric current instantly flowed through his entire body!

The Peter Parkers from the first-generation 'Spider-Man', 'The Amazing Spider-Man', 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse', 'Marvel's Spider-Man'...

The Peter Parkers from numerous works seemed to merge into Xu Can's soul in an instant!

Xu Can closed his eyes, as if he could see the memories of Peter Parker himself!

At this moment, he was possessed by Peter Parker! He was Spider-Man himself!

Emma Stone, sitting next to Xu Can, was a bit surprised.

Why wasn't this handsome Asian guy reading his lines? Was he too nervous?

She was just about to reach out her leg to nudge Xu Can and remind him, ===== CHAPTER 5 =====