America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 349, Section 347: Wanting to Drink Black Widow's Bathwater

The concept of the Justice League emerged in the 60s and was the first superhero team to unite together.

Because fans loved it and sales were great, Marvel followed suit and created the Avengers.

Look at the names of these two teams; it's obvious they're competing.

The Justice League was originally composed of seven members: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter, also known as the Seven Giants.

However, as time went on, more and more comics were published, and the writers kept changing.

There are brilliant screenwriters and there are terrible ones. And often, in order to boost sales, some screenwriters force in plots that can't be made up, like the Laughing Bat.

When they run out of ideas, they keep creating parallel universes, until in the end no one can figure out what's going on.

DC once wanted to figure out exactly how many problems they had created, so they hired a company to do the inventory.

Guess what happened?

It took this company more than two years to read and understand all of DC's comics.

More than two years! You can imagine how enormous that workload was, and how huge a mess it was.

DC originally wanted to put on a big show, but after seeing the situation, they chose to give up.

The Flashpoint Paradox was directly overturned and restarted, and in 2011, the new 52 era began.

I'm tired. Let's destroy it!

But after many twists and turns, the New 52 ended in 2019, and the DC Universe was rebooted once again.

Even after two major reboots and decades of development and evolution, Mars Manhunter, one of the seven giants, has never been truly awesome.

It's not that the character design and abilities are weak; on the contrary, the character design and abilities are too strong, yet the popularity remains lackluster.

Martian Manhunter's character is completely on par with Superman, and is even more versatile than Superman.

If we let him appear, we'll face a very awkward question: Dude, what's your role?

We have Superman to combine warriors and tanks, Old Bat to combine intelligence and skill, and the heroine is a Protoss with a female buff.

Flash can turn the tide in desperate situations, Aquaman can control the ocean and engage in water battles, and Green Lantern Hal has the strongest willpower and can also explore outer space.

Zack Kang's family follows the path of dark magic, and his personality is also very distinctive.

What do you, Mars hunter, have?

Pat your ugly forehead and tell me, what else do you have besides expensive special effects that waste money?

You deserve to be replaced by the new Type 52. The Steel Bone can play information warfare, which is much more useful than yours.

However, Cyborg only has this one unique feature, and its popularity is not high. It also doesn't qualify to have its own movie. To put it bluntly, it doesn't have enough commercial value.

Playing with the older brother in a team is alright; you might get a medal or be exempt from military service.

Going it alone doesn't give you any appeal, like Marvel's Black Widow, who is a very typical example of this type.

James Wan coughed a few times: "Regarding the question you raised, whether it's Martian Manhunter or Cyborg, we have no intention of giving up."

"We know that both characters have a lot of fans, but for the sake of the overall plan, they are not suitable for making standalone films at the moment."

"But in other superhero movies, all sorts of different characters will also appear."

"For example, Constantine can't just be Constantine; Zatana and Doctor Fate are characters with cross-storylines."

"The same goes for Cyborg and Martian Manhunter; they will appear in other heroes' movies and take on important roles."

The reporters took notes of what he said, but what their interpretations would be when it was published was another matter entirely.

The Los Angeles Times reporter continued, "James, how are these projects going? Do you have the scripts? Have the actors been cast? When can we start?"

James Wan stroked his specially dyed black hair: "I know everyone wants more information, but this is a big plan, it's not that easy."

"Go ahead and tell me, you must have been prepared."

Eric smiled slightly: "Let me say a few words, James, to let everyone know that we're not joking. Maybe that will help our stock price rise a few points."

Hahahaha...

A chuckle immediately broke out in the room.

"Okay! Regarding the scripts, the writing for Superman, Wonder Woman, Constantine, and Aquaman is basically complete."

"We referenced a lot of comics and tried our best to restore the setting in every detail. Some of the scenes and lines are almost a one-to-one replica of the comic scenes."

"The process is complex but enjoyable, and we are confident that both comic book fans and non-comic book fans will find it enjoyable."

"As for the other works, they are still in the process of being created, and we hope to do our best to achieve the best results."

"So that means four films are about to enter the production phase, right?"

James Wan nodded slightly: "That's a fair assessment. The team will be officially assembled soon."

"What about the role, James? How's the casting going?"

James Wan looked at Zack Snyder: "You tell him, Zack."

Zack Snyder continued, speaking with a slight accent, "We've already been in contact with some actors regarding this issue."

"After discussion, we plan to invite Keanu Reeves to play Constantine."

"We invited Henry Cavill to play Superman and Gal Gadot to play Wonder Woman."

"There are also actors who are considered for other roles, but of course these are not the final decisions and still require auditions."

"I would like to take this opportunity to say that if you feel that you are suitable for a certain role, then come and audition, and we will choose the most suitable one."

After discussing DC, the focus shifted to Marvel.

Kevin Feige, wearing the hat he would later frequently wear, said, "Just like James and Zack said, our approach is to connect the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with individual superhero films."

"And it's clear that Iron Man and Captain America have made a good start."

"At the beginning of the year, we said we would prepare the solo movies of Ant-Man and Thor as soon as possible."

"Now I can tell you all that things are going very well and the script is finished."

"At the same time, solo movies featuring characters such as the Hulk, Spider-Man, and X-Men will also begin preparations."

"Marvel's cinematic universe is no smaller than DC's, and with our experience with Iron Man and Captain America, we are confident we can do even better."

As soon as Kevin Feige finished speaking, a bunch of reporters couldn't help but ask questions.

The Russo brothers hired a reporter from the Chicago Sun-Times.

The other person frowned and asked, "I don't quite understand what Kevin means. Marvel is going to develop Spider-Man and X-Men series."

"But Sony just released Spider-Man 2 last year, and the third one is in the works. Sam Raimi said in an interview that they will continue to make movies."

"And Fox's X-Men 3 is already in post-production, which I don't understand."

"I don't understand this situation. Does it mean Marvel will co-produce a sequel with Sony and Fox?"

"And then there's Universal's 'Hulk,' are Marvel going to keep making more?"

This was a question that puzzled all the reporters present, as they had never seen a case where two companies were developing the same IP simultaneously.

To this, Eric can only say that you are ignorant. Before he traveled back in time, a book like "Ghost Blows Out the Light" caused far too many disputes.

Fortunately, Eric had already provided a solution to the reporters' questions, so the Russell brothers calmly explained, "No, that's not the case."

"It's not about joint development, but rather independent development with no interference between the two sides."

"Sony's Spider-Man belongs only to Sony, with Tobey Maguire playing Peter Parker."

"But Marvel's Spider-Man also belongs only to Marvel, and the actors and storylines will be completely different from Sony's version."

"Actually, apart from the superpowers and the character names, everything else is brand new. These are characters unique to the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

"The same applies to X-Men, the Hulk, or other characters."

"But wouldn't the audience feel very conflicted if we did that?" the reporter pressed.

"This is a simple question. Have you ever read comics?"

"Of course I've seen it."

"Since you've read it, you should know that there are multiple universes in comics, and each universe has the same character, but the story is completely different."

"For example, the Ultimate Universe overturns the origins of many characters."

"So Sony's Spider-Man is Peter Parker from Universe 212, while Marvel's Spider-Man is Peter Parker from Universe 616."

Upon hearing this explanation, the reporter visibly paused for a moment, then suddenly gave a thumbs-up: "Very reasonable!"

At the end of the press conference, Eric dropped another bombshell.

"Now MGM and Warner Bros. have come to the same conclusion, and we have a wealth of highly influential film and television IPs."

"So I'm considering making fuller use of these IPs to bring more joy and value to people."

"I've decided to start a new company that will focus on amusement park projects."

"Here you can experience various themes, such as Star Wars, The Matrix, Harry Potter, Transformers, superheroes, Frozen, and more."

"It's like going to Disneyland, except that Star Wars won't be renewing its contract with Disney when it expires in the future."

Eric didn't hide it at all; it was obvious to everyone that he was aiming for Disney's survival by developing the amusement park.

Eric Cooper is clearly going to strike at Mickey Mouse's Achilles' heel.

"I believe the global film landscape will change in the next decade."

"The era of superheroes has arrived!"

The richness of the content and the high level of the event exceeded many people's expectations.

Especially with the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, once depicted, even those who aren't comic book readers can see that this is an incredibly ambitious project.

Eric Cooper's final assertion, given that he usually delivers on his promises, suggests that the era of superheroes may truly be dawning.

The capital market naturally reacted most directly to this.

As expected, the stock prices of several related companies rose accordingly. Warner Bros.' market value returned to its original level after Eric's acquisition, falling back to more than $200 billion.

The stock price continued to decline during his ongoing restructuring of the company.

This press conference acted like a shot in the arm, causing the stock price to rebound strongly and even surpass previous highs at one point.

Conversely, Disney's stock price dropped by nearly 5% immediately after the press conference.

Even though Eric was just making a statement, and it would take at least two or three years for his park to be built, it still had an impact on Disney.

Depending on the situation, it's not impossible to cut it by 30% or 40% once it's completed.

The general public welcomes this, and now Disney dominates the domestic theme park market in the United States.

Competition is good, at least it can drive down ticket prices, right?

Besides, you can't always go to Disneyland; it's only natural to want to try something new and different.

This is also good news for Hollywood professionals; anyone with a brain knows these movies are big productions.

Although people say that Superman has already been decided, there are also candidates for Constantine.

But even if you don't get the lead role, there are still supporting roles. In such a big production, even a small but outstanding supporting role can add a brilliant touch to your resume.

Without a doubt, the happiest people are the fans.

Whether you're a Marvel or DC fan, the press conference is being hotly debated on various forums, chat rooms, offline gatherings, and social media.

For them, it truly felt like spring had arrived; the dream moment that many had been longing for had come to pass.

However, many people expressed their dissatisfaction after hearing Zack Snyder's casting choices.

Henry Cavill?

Is his youthful, boyish style in Twilight a match for Superman?

Keanu Reeves looks incredibly handsome as Constantine.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman? Isn't her bust too small?

The related discussions continued for about two weeks.

DC's official website released a series of promotional photos.

After using some makeup techniques, Henry Cavill noticeably became much larger.

Not only are his face angular, but his muscles are also very prominent, giving him an aura of immense power.

In particular, Superman's costumes abandoned the traditional practice of wearing underwear on the outside, with one being pure black and the other dark blue with a red cape.

Not only is he handsome, but he also exudes a very imposing aura.

Keanu Reeves was wearing a yellow trench coat and his classic Zac Connor skin.

He sat at the bar counter with a stubble on his face, a reddish cigarette dangling from his lips, his head slightly bowed.

Cigarettes, alcohol, and trench coats—that decadent vibe, combined with Keanu Reeves' melancholic and captivating good looks, makes it a battle of who can be more confused.

Then there's Gal Gadot's look, with her gold and red armor that doesn't feel plasticky at all.

He holds a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, with a golden lasso of truth hanging at his waist and a crown of gods on his forehead.

After several years of fitness training, clear muscle lines are visible outside the armor.

She was like a Valkyrie, resolutely wielding her sword.

The release of these three official photos immediately silenced the doubters.

They may not be perfect, but their charm is enough to win over the vast majority of people.

Furthermore, fans have noticed that the style of the clothing is completely different from that of the Reeve and Lynda Carter versions of Supergirl.

It appears more assertive and domineering, perhaps indicating that the film's style is not a slapstick comedy.

After DC released the promotional photos, Marvel also released Black Widow costume photos of Scarlett Johansson.

The tight leather outfit paired with sexy red lips immediately showcased Scarlett Johansson's sexy and charming side.

Some people have already announced online that they want to drink Scarlett Johansson's bathwater.

(End of this chapter)