Iron Man was still topping the box office charts.
And Martin's latest directorial project, District 9, was about to hit theaters.
A sci-fi horror film.
This was a genre Martin had never tackled before.
Up to now, very little information had been released about the film. Aside from the striking alien designs and some speculative chatter about the connection between the fictional District 9 and the real-life Area 51 in the United States, the plot itself remained completely under wraps.
Martin hadn't even released a trailer, pushing his hunger marketing strategy to the extreme.
Yet despite the secrecy, anticipation for the film remained sky-high. After all, the lead actor was none other than the red-hot Robert Downey Jr., fresh off his breakout role in Iron Man, and the director was Martin Meyers—who had never once made a "cold" film.
Everyone in the film community was dying to know:What kind of movie District 9 really was.Why the aliens had come to Earth.What kind of ghetto-like environment they were surviving in.
The curiosity was off the charts.
And then, just one week before the film's release—
Jason Morris, a member of the MPAA ratings board, suddenly tweeted:"This is one insane movie."
Which only poured fuel on the fire.
———
Late Night Show with Conan O'Brien.
Martin, dressed casually, and Robert Downey Jr., in a neat suit, sat side by side on that iconic blue-and-white striped couch.
Across from them sat the host, Conan O'Brien.
With his fiery red hair, narrow eyes, freckles, and lanky legs, this man was one of the hottest talk show hosts of the era.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien consistently ranked among the top shows on NBC.
He often invited trending personalities and A-list celebrities, and once they were on the show—well, they had to brace themselves for his signature pranks and irreverent humor.
This time, it was Martin and Robert's turn in the hot seat.
Martin agreed to appear partly because he felt the hunger marketing campaign had done its job. With the release date just around the corner, it was time to start feeding the audience some real content.
"Hey Martin," Conan grinned, "I heard you turned our dear Mr. Iron Man into an alien. What's that about? I mean, the guy literally fights aliens for a living—don't you think that's a bit harsh?"
Martin burst out laughing. He knew better than to play it too straight on this show.
"I just wanted him to understand that racism is wrong," he said. "Aliens might look a little strange, sure—but they're intelligent beings, just like us. We all live under the same universe."
A clever play on the civil rights slogan, "We live under the same sky." The crowd laughed again.
Then Robert jumped in. "He succeeded. I've completely moved beyond racial distinctions now. I believe in total unity. Not just with aliens, but cats, dogs, goats, cows—hell, even viruses and bacteria. Equal treatment for all!"
"Oh my God, you're insane!" Conan exclaimed, pulling a face.
More laughter.
Once the laughs died down, Conan said, "I heard the aliens in your movie are really hideous. I didn't believe it at first, so I looked it up online... and then I threw up."
Laughter.
"Martin, seriously—what was going through your head when you came up with those designs?"
He added slyly, "Was it because of Kafka's Metamorphosis?"
Martin shot back, mock-offended, "Hey! You stole my line!"
Laughter again.
Then he continued, "Look, no one's ever actually seen an alien. So why not make them look as weird and unsettling as possible? I'm pretty sure no one's ever designed aliens quite like these. Robert can back me up—he was shocked when he saw what he was turning into!"
Robert replied right away, "I wasn't shocked—I was trying not to puke."
"Actually, he did puke," Martin revealed, exposing Robert little accident during filming.
"Really?" Conan asked, intrigued.
"Yup," Robert admitted. "And the lunatic next to me decided to include that scene in the movie. Congratulations, everyone—you'll get to see Iron Man at his absolute lowest."
Another round of roaring laughter.
"So, Robert," Conan asked, "how do you really feel about the film?"
Donny thought for a moment, then said, "It's like a nightmare brought to life. You probably don't know this, but after I read Martin's script, I had nightmares for days. My wife Suzanne was freaked out—I was screaming in my sleep."
Conan's eyes widened. "Come on, that's a bit dramatic, isn't it?"
"Just wait till you see the movie," Donny said.
"I will! I haven't had a dream in ages—not even a nightmare. I miss those."
Laughter.
Then Martin chimed in, "In that case, you should be thanking me. Nothing makes life feel more real than turning your nightmares into reality."
"Oh listen to this guy!" Donny cried, pretending to be mad and pointing at Martin.
More laughter.
But suddenly, Martin stood up with a serious expression and said:
"There's nothing scary about nightmares becoming reality. The path you choose at twenty-two won't be the same one you walk at thirty-two or forty-two. Dreams change—some grow bigger, some shrink, some take new directions. It's the rigid thoughts we refuse to let go of that define us. And that's what makes each of us unique. That's not easy—but once you accept your misfortunes and face them head-on, even your most crushing failures can become the catalyst for real transformation."
The studio audience went quiet, thoughtful.
Especially Conan. It felt like Martin's words had struck a deep chord in him, as if they had been ripped straight from his own soul.
What Conan didn't know… was that those were his own words—a quote Martin had jotted down long ago.
After a pause, Conan smiled and said, "That was beautiful. Really. From now on, I'm claiming that as mine."
He raised a hand to the audience. "Everyone, forget what Martin just said. I'm going to repeat it again—Obliviate!"
A Harry Potter reference. The audience burst out laughing again.
But he wasn't done yet. With mock solemnity, Conan repeated Martin's quote word-for-word, as if it truly came from his own heart.
The crowd roared even louder.
And that night's Late Night with Conan O'Brien?
An undeniable hit.
Thanks to Martin, Robert, and Conan—a trio of comedians who truly knew how to make people laugh.
[GodOfReader: But i didn't laugh reading the whole chapter tho?]