Next Gen 2012: Hollywood's Fastest-Rising Stars

Ayaz, 34, is marketing brand lead for Disney Live Action and Marvel, overseeing the planning, development and execution of global marketing campaigns for Walt Disney Studios and Marvel Studios film releases. The Pakistan-born USC grad is currently planning the campaigns for Oz: The Great and Powerful, The Lone Ranger and Iron Man 3.

INDUSTRY MENTORS: [Marvel Studios' ] Ike Perlmutter and Kevin Feige.

CAREER INSPIRATION: As a kid, I watched a lot of [Disney] movies and read Marvel comics -- Thor was my favorite. It's funny how it all led here. [He started as a retail planner for Disney.]

BEST ADVICE: [Marvel's] Rob Steffens told me, "Always go out of your way to give credit to others." We get so caught up in what we do and the big movies we work on, but it's the people who work on our teams that matter. A marketing campaign is never one person. It's an army.

BIGGEST 2012 ACCOMPLISHMENT: The Avengers marketing campaign. It was the first collaboration between Marvel and Disney that paid off hugely. [The film made $1.5 billion.]

CAN'T-MISS TV : Parks and Recreation.

MOVIE FIX: Fargo.

LUNCH SPOT: Sushi Nishiya in Burbank. It's one of the best-kept secrets.

I WAKE UP AT: 6 a.m.

THE FIRST THING I DO: Check the number of Facebook "likes" on our films.

I FALL ASLEEP AT: 11 p.m.

THE LAST THING I DO: Check the number of Facebook "likes" on our films.