There was also Terminator 3, although it wasn't directed by James Cameron.
And then there was Hulk, a superhero film directed by Ang Lee but an arthouse director making a superhero film?
Let's just say it was not a good choice. Ang Lee was not suited for that kind of film.
It's worth mentioning that during this year's Valentine's Day release window, 20th Century Fox released a film titled Daredevil.
Unfortunately, the film received a lukewarm response.
The studio had hoped the film would explode in its opening weekend like Sony's Spider-Man, but reality delivered a hard blow. The film only grossed $40.23 million in its opening week.
What's worse, the reviews weren't great. After barely crossing $100 million in North America, Daredevil was quickly pulled from theaters.
This movie starred Ben Affleck. So, before he ever played Batman, Ben Affleck had already dabbled in Marvel territory.
It just didn't go well. Given Daredevil's poor performance, 20th Century Fox announced the cancellation of its sequel plans.
Previously, the back-to-back successes of X-Men and Spider-Man had convinced many that the era of superhero films had arrived.
But Daredevil's failure cooled down those holding superhero film rights, reminding them to think things through more carefully.
While Daredevil didn't meet expectations, its box office still ranked fourth in North America this year just behind three romantic comedies, each of which had grossed over $100 million domestically.
Still waiting to be released this year were X-Men 2 and Universal Pictures' Hulk, also directed by Ang Lee both part of the Marvel camp.
Seeing all this unfold made Warner and DC a little anxious.
Even though Daredevil flopped, everyone knew it was temporary superhero films still had tremendous untapped potential.
Previously, Warner Bros. had planned to reboot the Superman series and also develop a Catwoman solo film, with Halle Berry eyed for the lead role.
Warner executives even hoped Gilbert would direct the new Superman or Catwoman film.
But Gilbert felt Warner needed to keep a cool head. Rushing for quick success would only lead to failure; staying calm was a better approach.
Still, watching other studios cash in on Marvel superheroes made it hard for Warner Bros. to stay composed.
Luckily, Gilbert was now a board member at Warner. He wasn't about to let the executives sabotage their brand or his own interests.
Thus, plans to reboot Superman and launch a Catwoman solo film were both scrapped. In their place came a new idea: a Justice League movie.
Gilbert took a close look at DC's superheroes and reached a conclusion Superman was simply too powerful. In movies, his strength made the balance between him and other heroes lopsided.
To balance the power dynamics, they'd either have to weaken Superman or boost the other heroes.
Or they could just make Superman a villain, and have the rest of the heroes unite to fight him.
That was the path Batman v Superman would take in the future enhancing the other heroes. Justice League made Superman a villain first, who would later awaken and return to the good side.
Exactly how to handle it would require further discussion.
Regardless, building a franchise was no easy feat. Warner's impatient approach was doomed to fail.
At the moment, Gilbert wasn't too interested in racking his brain over this. Rather than launching a Justice League project, he preferred to shoot The Dark Knight trilogy something he had more confidence in.
Compared to DC's restlessness, Marvel was clearly in a more relaxed and optimistic position.
The successful superhero films of the past two years had one thing in common they were all Marvel properties. The only problem: Marvel had sold off the film rights and received nothing beyond small royalties.
Since being acquired by Gilbert in 1998, Marvel had finally begun to recover. Its upper management was full of ambition.
Under Gilbert's blueprint, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was being planned with great ambition. The first superhero chosen to lead the charge was Iron Man.
But as the project entered early pre-production, Gilbert wasn't satisfied with the current level of special effects. So he told Marvel Studios to hold off for now.
Today, Marvel was essentially run by Gilbert alone. When he said to wait, nobody dared object.
After all, Gilbert was a top-tier director. Marvel's leadership had great faith in his eye and filmmaking skills.
If Gilbert thought the timing wasn't right, then it probably wasn't.
Marvel wasn't going bankrupt anytime soon. So why not wait for the perfect moment for a jaw-dropping debut?
When it came to superhero movies, special effects were everything.
Why was Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so unpopular in the previous timeline? Besides the dumbed-down plots, excessive sprawl, and heavy political messaging
The biggest reason was the reduced investment in visual effects. Blurry, cheap-looking shots completely broke the immersion.
Honestly, if it weren't for the "Marvel superhero" branding attracting fans to the theaters, many of those films should have bombed.
One major reason Gilbert delayed the Iron Man film was because, to match the visual quality of the first Iron Man movie in the previous timeline, the budget had to exceed $180 million.
To put it plainly: good special effects are made by throwing money at them. The more money you burn, the better they look.
Marvel executives even wanted to cast Tom Cruise as Iron Man. Factoring in his salary, the production would approach $200 million.
That's $200 million for a brand-new film company's very first movie?
The risk was enormous. Even if Gilbert had money, he wasn't about to burn it blindly.
Plus, Gilbert had reservations about Tom Cruise in the role. Though they were personally close, Gilbert was deeply impressed by Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man in the previous timeline.
He simply couldn't imagine what it would feel like to see Tom Cruise play Iron Man instead.
Gilbert just had a gut feeling Iron Man's roguish, snarky, cocky, and sarcastic tone wasn't a good match for Tom Cruise.
Cruise was too straight-laced. It was Downey Jr.'s bad-boy charm that truly matched Iron Man's spirit.
The only issue was, Robert Downey Jr. had just completed a prison sentence and fallen from a once-promising Hollywood star to rock bottom, making his situation rather lamentable.
Last year, Downey finished a painful five-year battle against drug addiction and began trying to restart an acting career that had been on pause for six years.
His first gig after his return was acting as a stand-in for Elton John's music video "I Want Love."
People lamented, "A former Oscar nominee is now lip-syncing in a pop singer's music video."
But Downey didn't mind. He saw it as the first step in rejoining the workforce.
Recently, Robert Downey Jr. had taken on several film roles, mostly supporting characters, with little reception. Once a rising star, he now faced the cold truths of Hollywood.
Fortunately, he met producer Susan, who introduced him to several opportunities.
In addition, Robert Downey Jr. started practicing Wing Chun, hoping to use martial arts to help him stay clean, and apparently, it worked well.
In truth, Robert Downey Jr. was just unlucky. Many Hollywood stars had used drugs Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves were once addicts too.
River Phoenix even died from an overdose. His death made Depp and Reeves realize how precious life was and prompted them to get clean.
Downey's misfortune was that his troubles coincided with Washington's anti-drug initiative. As a young man who'd offended people, he was made an example of.
If this had happened twenty years later, with marijuana legalized and rehab centers widespread, what Downey went through would've barely been a big deal.
Of course, Gilbert himself firmly opposed drug use. Coming from a country with strong anti-drug values, he deeply understood the harm drugs could do.
Some say that celebrities use drugs just to relieve stress.
But Gilbert thought that was nonsense. There are so many ways to relieve stress why pick one that damages your body?
Gilbert could relieve stress by vacationing, or by going fishing with Leo and Matt Damon, or hunting with Tom Cruise.
Worst case, he could cuddle up with someone and sleep also a decent option.
Leo was a bit outrageous. Last time he visited, he told Gilbert about his experience at a "silver party" and even invited Gilbert to join.
Charlize Theron and Scarlett overheard this and promptly chased Leo out the door…
Hollywood has no bottom line. A life of indulgence and extravagance is so common it barely raises eyebrows. If someone comes seeking moral perfection here, they're in the wrong place.
As long as you keep succeeding, no matter how much of a mess you are personally, you'll still be welcomed in Hollywood.
And you'll always find someone worse people who hit rock bottom with no shame.
By comparison, Gilbert saw himself as pure as a virgin maiden despite being a grown man.
After taking the Pirates of the Caribbean team on several major North American talk shows, the early promotional campaign for the film came to a close.
By May 1st, Pirates of the Caribbean held its premiere at the Chinese Theatre.
That day, a light rain fell in Los Angeles. By the afternoon, when the premiere began, it was still drizzling.
But the weather didn't dampen the fans' enthusiasm. A Gilbert movie every summer had practically become a tradition.
And going to the theater every summer to watch a Gilbert film had become a ritual for fans.
This year's story wasn't about The Lord of the Rings anymore it was a brand-new, original tale. Honestly, if it were another director, audiences might not be so excited.
But the director was Gilbert the most beloved and fan-favored filmmaker on the planet.
Fans believed in Gilbert's talent. They believed he'd bring them a great film.
The red carpet that afternoon was bustling with activity. It was Keira Knightley's first time on such a red carpet, and the spectacle stunned this Hollywood newcomer.
"Nervous?" Gilbert asked.
Keira Knightley nodded. "A bit. There are so many people."
Gilbert gave a small smile and reassured her: "Don't be nervous. Just imagine all the fans and reporters on both sides as hamburger monsters."
Johnny Depp chimed in jokingly, "Keira, what's your first reaction when you see a hamburger monster?"
"Hmm…" Keira tilted her head and thought. "Since it's a monster… shouldn't I avoid it?"
"NONONO," Johnny Depp waved his finger. "If the monster's already made into a hamburger, you might as well eat it."
"Hss…" Keira was chilled by Johnny Depp's cold joke.
But thanks to his antics, her nervousness faded away.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, time to step out," Gilbert clapped his hands. "Don't keep everyone waiting. Go greet the applause that belongs to you!"
As he spoke, the Pirates of the Caribbean cast began to step onto the red carpet in groups, instantly igniting the energy of the entire premiere.
...
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