In the barren, desert-like land, a figure suddenly appeared on the horizon—a man in a black uniform and wide-brimmed hat, riding a fast-moving two-wheeled motorcycle. The figure got closer, gradually revealing the face beneath the hat.
The dark face, with eyes glaring like brass bells, exuded a powerful and alert gaze, while the robust, athletic body left an unforgettable impression.
This was the guardian of peace and tranquility! Not only was he full of justice and agility, but he also possessed vast knowledge, a true warrior and scholar.
As the figure fully appeared, a sudden piece of music began to play.
It was clearly his theme music!
The wide-brimmed hat came with its own background music!
As the music played, the lyrics became distinct:
"Eyes wide like brass bells, shooting out lightning-like sharpness. Ears perked up like antennas, listening for all suspicious sounds. With sharpened claws, you patrol everywhere, bringing peace and safety to our lives..."
With the soundtrack playing, the motorcycle suddenly stopped. The man in the black uniform dismounted and walked to the roadside, gazing into the distance.
Amidst the barren landscape, a crater, as if formed by a meteor strike, lay ahead. At the center of the crater stood a golden rod embedded in the rock, pointing skyward.
On the rod was inscribed, "Ruyi Jingu Bang!" (Magic Gold-Clasped Staff).
"Meow—" the man in black let out a catlike sound and said, "Alien visitor, you are not alone!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a whirlwind rose behind him, and with its passing, a group of strange figures suddenly appeared.
Leading them was a three-eyed man wielding a peculiar three-pronged weapon, holding a strange-looking dog on a leash.
Beside him was a man riding a donkey and wearing a headscarf.
Above them floated a boy with a golden hoop on his back, holding a flaming spear and standing on fiery wheels.
Behind them stood seven small children, each with a gourd on their head.
"Find this man!" the man in black said slowly. "He will be the strongest fist in our alliance!"
The theme music swelled dramatically.
"Ah-ha-ha! Black Cat Detective! The citizens of the forest salute you, salute you, salute you..."
This song echoed like a brain-piercing chant, pulling Matthew from his dream and forcing his eyes open.
He looked around, bewildered. There were no gourd children, no Erlang Shen, no Afanti, and no Nezha. And there certainly wasn't any mythical alliance protecting world peace.
But there was a Magic Gold-Clasped Staff...
Matthew was awake now. He glanced at his own "Magic Gold-Clasped Staff" and then looked to the side. The blonde beauty lying next to him, who had been thoroughly exhausted by his staff the night before, was still fast asleep.
Scarlett Johansson was still sound asleep as well. Matthew didn't disturb her. After washing up, he went outside for his usual morning run.
Last night, after the premiere, he had taken Scarlett Johansson back to Horner Manor. They were old friends by now, so there was no need for formalities. As soon as they returned, they got right to business, and then he had that strange dream.
Speaking of which, the ancient land across the Pacific has a rich history that offers countless themes and heroes for movies, far more than what the young country of America could ever match.
Unfortunately, the film industry isn't something that can be changed by a few successful films or directors. It involves a complex series of issues, from industrial foundations to surrounding sectors.
Perhaps in the near future, we might see commercial films from across the Pacific, akin to Iron Man or The Avengers.
After completing his morning run, Matthew returned to find Scarlett Johansson awake. They had breakfast together, and then he arranged for her to be driven to ABC Studios. With Iron Man 2 just premiering, it was the busiest time for promotions.
The film was highly entertaining, and with the foundation laid by Iron Man, the response was excellent.
Most importantly, Marvel Studios had begun solidifying its unique style and formula through Iron Man 2.
There was someone responsible for humor, someone for eye candy, someone for expanding the universe, and of course, a seemingly powerful but ultimately weak villain...
Matthew was all too familiar with these tropes, but they showed that Marvel Studios was on the right track.
Though it was uncertain whether Kevin Feige had always been in charge of Marvel Studios, from the current outlook, he was proving to be an outstanding commercial producer.
So, Matthew specifically called Robert Iger to express his support for Kevin Feige.
The box office numbers for Iron Man 2 also validated Feige's abilities.
The film opened in North America with a massive $131.3 million in its first three days from 4,380 theaters!
The Marvel Cinematic Universe had taken another solid step toward success.
With the success of the Iron Man series, more superheroes would undoubtedly reveal their true identities in the future.
Why was Iron Man so popular? For a superhero, the most exhilarating part of Iron Man was the lack of secrecy. The "coming out" scene at the end of the first movie thrilled audiences. In contrast, Batman's secrecy threw Gotham into chaos, and Spider-Man's attempts to hide his identity repeatedly endangered his girlfriend. Tony Stark's openness was refreshing.
Audiences had grown tired of the brooding, the forced solemnity, the tragic heroes burdened with family or national vendettas. Finally, a charming, wealthy, witty, and elegant middle-aged man was showing off his many talents. How could that not captivate them?
Without a doubt, Matthew's investment had once again paid off. It wouldn't be long before he could sit back and count his profits.
For someone like Matthew, counting money wasn't a tedious task like it was for bank employees. At his level, it was the most enjoyable game.
Money wasn't just a numbers game; it brought immense pleasure.
In just two weekends, Iron Man 2 had grossed over $200 million in North America, with global box office earnings exceeding $500 million.
This success rattled many people.
For Matthew, it was exhilarating. His rising fortune, just like his fame, would allow him to fell even bigger trees.
For Warner Bros. and DC Comics, the situation was even more urgent.
Although DC and Marvel weren't as fiercely opposed as their fanbases made them out to be, nor were they enemies, DC couldn't ignore their rival's growing success.
After all, when DC's Superman and Batman were dominating the big screen, Marvel's superheroes were practically unknown.
This huge role reversal would unbalance anyone.
Thanks to his close collaboration with Warner Bros., Matthew had access to plenty of insider information regarding DC's superhero films. Iron Man 2's success had two major impacts.
First, Zack Snyder's new Superman project was officially put into motion, with early planning underway. Both Snyder and Warner Bros., along with DC Comics, reached out to Helen Herman, hoping to cast Matthew as Clark Kent.
Matthew didn't even consider it. He had Helen turn them down immediately.
In this era, the last thing people wanted was a near-perfect saint. Whether in real life or on the big screen, playing a saint was a thankless task, and Clark Kent was the saint of saints.
Sure, in the comics, different universes and timelines had introduced various twisted versions of Superman, but the movies would tread carefully.
Besides, Matthew had worked with Zack Snyder before. He knew Snyder was a die-hard DC fanboy.
Taking comic book storylines and directly translating them onto the big screen was something Snyder had already done with Watchmen.
After just showing his support for Kevin Feige, there was no way Matthew would step into this minefield.
He could only hope that Snyder would pave the way for DC's superhero films.
That was the best Matthew could think of. Just because he had worked with Snyder before didn't mean he would blindly accept another invitation from him.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and DC Comics were ramping up their investment in Green Lantern.
For them, Green Lantern was a project of enormous significance, much like Iron Man had been for Marvel.
It was supposed to be the start of Warner Bros. and DC's planned Justice League universe.
If the first film flopped, how could they carry on with the rest of the series? A failure with Green Lantern was simply unacceptable.
With a $250 million production budget, Green Lantern had plenty of money to ensure dazzling visual effects, so Warner Bros. and DC focused their additional investments on promoting the film.
According to Matthew's sources, the global marketing budget for Green Lantern was a staggering $200 million, with Warner Bros. and DC ready to invest even more if needed.
A $200 million marketing budget was on par with that of Avatar.
The total investment in Green Lantern by Warner Bros. and DC might even rival Avatar and could possibly exceed it.
In Hollywood, the more you invest in a commercial blockbuster, the higher the chance of box office success.
Of course, everyone knew that there were countless high-budget flops in Hollywood as well. Some had even bankrupted mid-sized production companies.
The original Green Lantern had been a disaster, and who knew if Will Smith could help fill that gaping hole.
Black cinema was on the rise, a trend Matthew couldn't deny or reverse.
With Black Lives Matter becoming a political movement, many Black stars were rising—and many were falling.
This was an inevitable part of Hollywood's evolution, something no single person could change.
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