No matter what, in the new weekend, The Avengers was scheduled for its second-weekend release, while Fast & Furious 5, which opened in its first weekend, naturally had an advantage—especially with Vin Diesel's car accident death, which generated massive publicity and attention that could not be ignored.
At their North American base, Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios did not relax their promotional marketing for The Avengers, nor were they satisfied with the current 355 million USD box office. Aside from using every possible means to minimize the Vin Diesel accident effect, their own publicity campaigns were in full swing.
With the film becoming a massive hit, the Avengers naturally became the focus of fan discussions. Whether fans had read the comics or not, under Duke's guidance and leveraging the openness of the internet, they expressed opinions and engaged in heated debates.
The villains needed no introduction. As the sole main antagonist, Loki's performance was indeed striking.
The entire movie could even be considered Loki's blood-and-tears saga.
"You are ants!" — Nick Fury stepped on him.
"I am a ruler!" — Captain flung him away.
"I am a king!" — Thor lifted and pushed him.
"I am a villain! A very, very evil villain!" — Black Widow tricked him.
"I have an army!" — Iron Man verbally tore him apart, nullifying his powers and blasting him.
"I can catch arrows barehanded! Cool, right?" — Hawkeye blew him up.
"I am a god!" — Hulk mosaic-ed him painfully.
"Can I have a little drink?" — Everyone beat him up again.
Loki was definitely an inspirational idol among bosses, a master of success!
Moreover, Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios in North America began appropriately tilting promotion toward Chris Evans.
Due to the unique nature of his character, Chris Evans, playing Captain America, remained in North America. As the only Avenger staying there, Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios developed a targeted promotional strategy.
Many saw Steve Rogers merely as a super soldier taken for experimental modification. In 2012, he was still a misplaced relic, clueless about humor, and could only watch Tony Stark and Bruce Banner operate high-tech programs in confusion. Some even felt sad for him, believing his existence had been somewhat devalued.
Duke's online team launched a major discussion about Steve Rogers, which Warner Bros. leveraged for "nostalgia marketing."
"I still clearly remember a scene in Captain America where, during the selection for the super soldier experiment, an officer threw a grenade into a group of training American soldiers. Everyone panicked, except Steve Rogers, who unhesitatingly ran forward, grabbed the grenade, and curled up around it."
"At that time, he wasn't Captain America yet, and he was even weaker than ordinary soldiers. According to the comics, a hero exposed to nuclear radiation might transform. A hero bitten by a spider could climb walls. But if that grenade were real, it would explode. Soldier Steve Rogers wouldn't become Grenade Man; he'd be blown to pieces—I'm not sure this would even earn him a medal. After all, he hadn't even officially been to the battlefield."
"Steve Rogers, using his body to shield the grenade, was just an ordinary person, a guy beaten up in alleys, laughed at."
"As an ordinary man, Steve Rogers didn't have Chris Evans' impressive muscles, nor the iconic shield. He was frail, his face passable, but his weak body made him appear somewhat effeminate and pitiful."
"From common scenarios, many underprivileged and bullied individuals either harbor hatred for the world or choose to observe coldly. Few would volunteer to join the army and fight Nazis, sacrificing themselves to protect others without hesitation."
"His becoming the first superhero in history wasn't luck, but qualification. It's not like randomly grabbing someone from the army, putting them in an experiment, and suddenly they can sprint barefoot chasing Nazi agents for blocks."
"Even with the same abilities, giving a shield to others wouldn't make them as competent as Steve Rogers was in that alley, holding a trash can lid."
"At the end of Captain America, Steve Rogers crashes in an aircraft onto the vast icefield. A date, delayed over seventy years, never arrived!"
The Avengers gave Captain America only brief flashes, showing glimpses of his era and the lady he was destined to miss. We cannot fully know Steve Rogers' innermost emotions.
"But when Steve Rogers dons the uniform, wields his shield, and appears on bombed streets with Black Widow and Hawkeye, calmly directing the police, rescuing civilians, providing a ground command post for other Avengers, and organizing battle rhythms methodically, my mind automatically flashes back to his first rescue mission and riding a motorbike through gunfire, charging at Nazi positions without hesitation."
"Then I cried. Tears streamed down my face!"
"This was me shedding another tear for Captain America, separate from the Avengers' emotional gathering scenes!"
"As the team leader and spiritual core, Captain is indispensable, without question."
"An experienced captain knows how to command battles, let other heroes perform their roles to maximize abilities. He is the core of the team, an excellent leader, steadfast, calm, and meticulous in the Avengers' collective scenes."
"Times may advance, values may shift, but the persistent human spirit of courage, dreams, and belief embodied by the Avengers remains unchanged."
"Those who scoff at superhero films will never understand the significance of dreams and faith for others. Claiming, 'This society is realistic, so I must be realistic,' is a fine excuse for one's weakness and compromise."
"Captain Steve Rogers' positive energy is MAX, pure, almost a textbook example. Seeing him calmly command battles, one forgets that he, like other superheroes, had his own hardships."
"It seems as if he never endured repeated enlistment rejections, alley beatings, losing friends in combat, missing out on the woman he loved while saving humanity, and gradually being forgotten in history—experiences like these."
As the most influential Hollywood director in China, Duke naturally became the focus of publicity, while another key focus was Scarlett Johansson, who accompanied him.
Large-scale commercial productions have a more global impact than independent art films—this is beyond doubt. Scarlett Johansson had starred in multiple Marvel films and works like Gravity, which grossed 1 billion RMB in China, making her renown obvious.
Thus, the interview about her spread widely across online platforms and traditional media.
However, Duke could not help but feel amused and exasperated seeing articles being frantically shared across countless social media platforms here.
"She not only rewards audiences by showcasing her graceful curves but also sincerely expresses her love for art and insights into the times, maintaining a clear self amidst Hollywood's intoxicating indulgence. Just like in The Avengers, she is far more than a pretty vase in the opponent's eyes. Enchanting like Monroe, with a tsundere art-lover's heart—this is the dual-faced goddess Scarlett Johansson."
"The highly anticipated Marvel epic The Avengers premiered in mainland theaters on May 5. Against a backdrop of handsome male stars, Scarlett Johansson, code-named 'Black Widow,' shines even brighter. Her portrayal of agent Natasha Romanoff astonishes the audience from the moment she appears, with fiery red hair and a black tight suit. Even when bound to a chair, she remains formidable, effortlessly taking down three men with teasing yet commanding charm, her voluptuous figure fully on display. This mature Black Widow is compassionate, strategic, and brave—even her toy figurine costs 500 RMB more than those of the male stars!"
"Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner, commented in The Avengers that 'her sexy blonde hair and lips give her the aura of a Golden Age star,' which is not only Renner's opinion. Her talent scout, Duke Rosenberg, and the rest of us all agree. She was long considered the perfect choice to portray Marilyn Monroe, because it's almost impossible to imagine anyone else—this 'modern Monroe' embodies both spirit and form!"
"As an Oscar-winning actress, she lacks Angelina Jolie's domineering aura and does not possess Amber Heard's seemingly PS-enhanced figure. She has a full figure, though her height slightly skews her proportions, and she never deliberately corrected her not-so-perfect teeth. Unlike Monroe, she didn't remove ribs to achieve a tiny waist—this allows nitpicking viewers to find balance internally, and makes her feel authentic. She is not perfect, not above the clouds, but amidst the bustling mortal world…"