Chapter 456: Justice League

"I heard the company wants to reboot the Superman franchise?" Although he rarely interfered with Warner Brothers' operations, Duke stayed well informed. "And you want to pull Catwoman out for a standalone movie?"

"Superman is still in the discussion phase." Doug Walter had always trusted Duke's cinematic vision. "But paper plans have already been drawn up for Catwoman. The production department intends to cast Halle Berry as the lead."

"A Black Catwoman?" Duke shook his head slightly and spoke bluntly. "Catwoman is a second-tier DC character to begin with. If she's played by a Black actress, you'll alienate the comic fans. Besides, Halle Berry isn't a good fit. Her box office appeal is limited, and she's never carried a movie on her own. As for her Best Actress Oscar..."

He left the rest unsaid, but Doug Walter understood. "What if we recast?" he asked.

"No, no, no, Doug." Duke wagged a finger at him. "You misunderstood me."

Doug Walter looked at him. Since Duke had said he planned to discuss this in detail only after Doug took the CEO seat, it had to be something massive.

"My personal advice," Duke said directly, skipping the pleasantries. "Not just Catwoman, but the new Superman too—it's best to put all these projects on hold."

"On hold?" Doug Walter frowned. Taking over as CEO meant he needed to deliver results. His original plan was to revive the glory of DC superhero movies alongside his collaborations with Duke. "Duke, you said yourself that the era of superhero movies is about to begin. Why put them on hold?"

He relied heavily on their partnership, true, but without a legitimate, convincing reason, he wasn't going to halt projects already in the planning stage.

"Looking at current trends, superhero films will claim an ever-growing share of the market over the next few years," Duke said seriously. "We shouldn't rush into production. We need to map out a comprehensive plan."

Duke didn't keep Doug Walter waiting and laid it out. "Haven't you ever thought about assembling DC's comic heroes in a single universe? Having them team up and fight side by side, just like in the comics?"

"You mean..." Doug Walter immediately caught his drift. "The Justice League?"

"Exactly." Duke nodded. "Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince—their influence far exceeds most of Marvel's heroes. I'm sure countless fans would love to see the Justice Big Three appear in the same movie."

Doug Walter fell deep into thought.

"We shouldn't just make sequels," Duke continued. "We should tear down the entire franchise and start over. Develop a complete blueprint, using standalone films for Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman to connect the heroes of the Justice League, ultimately bringing them together in a team-up."

"We do need a plan."

Doug Walter's competence was unquestionable if he could secure the CEO position at Warner Brothers. Although he wasn't certain a crossover would succeed, it was a far more reliable approach than hastily launching Catwoman and Superman.

"It's more than just that." Duke met Doug Walter's gaze. "Ever since buying shares in Marvel, I've had an idea."

"An idea?" Doug Walter looked back at him.

"Doug, this stays between the two of us."

At Duke's words, Doug Walter gave a firm nod.

In truth, it wouldn't matter if the following words leaked. Duke simply wanted to ensure Warner Brothers took them seriously. "I don't think we should treat Marvel as a competitor."

Duke raised a hand to cut off whatever Doug Walter was about to say. "This has nothing to do with my stake in Marvel. Doug, Marvel Pictures was just established. Even if they produce their first movie four years from now, they won't have the capability to distribute it..."

Could a film studio that was only a few years old handle massive distribution across North America, let alone globally?

Doug Walter already understood what Duke was getting at.

"I own thirty-two percent of Marvel, and I'm steadily acquiring more. Plus, my shares carry voting rights." Duke's voice was neither loud nor fast, but his words carried immense weight. "With my backing, it won't be difficult for Warner Brothers to secure the distribution rights for Marvel Pictures..."

Doug Walter chuckled. Marvel Pictures was brimming with confidence precisely because they had a director like Duke backing them. If Duke favored Warner, and Marvel was brought into Warner's system...

"Doug, have you ever considered it?" Duke asked bluntly. "If Marvel's superhero movies succeed, they form The Avengers. If our movies succeed, we form the Justice League. And then, those two leagues..."

Duke paused. "Why shouldn't we swallow Marvel when the time is right?"

Duke was describing a best-case scenario, but subconsciously, Doug Walter believed both superhero franchises would succeed—because the man pushing them was Duke Rosenberg!

If they truly succeeded, he would become the most illustrious CEO in Warner Brothers history. He could earn more stock options and dividends, and claiming the CEO spot for the entire conglomerate wasn't out of the question.

However, Doug Walter immediately recognized the biggest flaw in the plan.

"Duke, DC's superhero movies have been in decline for far too long."

The conversation had circled right back to where it started.

After a brief moment of consideration, Duke replied, "Doug, if my advice is accepted, I hope the company formulates a comprehensive plan. As for DC's superhero movies..."

Duke smiled. "Save Batman for me. Don't give him to anyone else."

"Rest assured!" Doug Walter had just heard the best news of the night. "Duke, Bruce Wayne is yours!"

"When do you plan to start the Batman project?" he asked.

"Soon." Duke thought over his schedule. "After The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, I'll need a break. I plan to shoot a low-budget action flick, then shift my focus to Batman. I'm plotting a brand-new trilogy. Once I finish post-production on Return of the King, I'll put together the outlines for both the action movie and the trilogy..."

Doug Walter's spirits soared. "I'll take full responsibility for pushing this through at Warner!"

These were monumental matters concerning Warner Brothers' future. Even Duke and Doug Walter could only reach an agreement in principle; they couldn't finalize a decision. In a company with such a complex shareholder structure, massive projects shaping the company's future couldn't be settled by one or two people in a few words.

After discussing a few more details, Duke shifted the topic. "How are the talks with Steve Jobs going?"

"He keeps having Pixar Studio negotiate with us, but he's in no rush." Doug Walter offered a helpless smile. "Jobs is a sly old fox. His first choice is still Walt Disney; he just wants to use Warner to pressure them. But his conflict with Michael Eisner is sharp, and Eisner refuses to yield. Rumor has it they got into a shouting match right at a joint Disney-Pixar meeting."

Duke frowned. "What are our chances?"

"It's hard to say right now." Doug Walter tapped his fingers lightly against the sofa. "Pixar Studio still has two animated features left on their contract. Given Pixar's production style, they probably won't fulfill it until 2004 at the earliest."

Everyone wanted a bite of a delicious cake like Pixar Studio. "The conglomerate's stance is clear," Doug Walter continued. "Swallow Pixar Studio at all costs. Even if we can't buy them outright, we must at least establish a partnership."

Across Hollywood today, every major studio was launching animation projects. This was a weak spot for Warner Brothers, but if they absorbed Pixar Studio, that weakness would instantly become a strength.

Of course, snatching Pixar from someone like Steve Jobs—especially when Walt Disney held the advantage—would be unimaginably difficult.

Before they finally left the reception room, Doug Walter asked one last question. "Are you going to direct Marvel's Iron Man?"

Duke shook his head. "Not in my immediate plans. Marvel Pictures lacks experience and requires long-term preparation."

Stepping out of the reception room and returning to the banquet hall, Duke spotted Ivanka hurrying toward him. "Where did you go?" she asked with concern. "I went around to socialize for a bit and ended up losing you."

"Just discussing a few things with Doug," Duke said, taking her hand and leading her toward Tina Fey. "Regarding future work."

"God..." Ivanka frowned, offering a mild complaint. "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy isn't even finished, and you're already plotting your next project?"

"Darling," Duke said, looping his arm through hers, "it's the career I love."

Approaching Tina Fey, Duke opened his arms to the other woman chatting with her. "Sofia, long time no see."

"It really has been a while, Duke."

Sofia Coppola stepped forward and gave him a light hug, then turned to Ivanka. "Hello, Miss Trump."

"Hello, Sofia." Knowing this was one of Duke's few close friends, Ivanka offered a warm smile. "Just call me Evie."

The two women exchanged friendly greetings.

"How are preparations for your new movie going?" Duke asked.

"I'm taking the crew to Tokyo next month," Sofia Coppola said, blinking playfully. "Guess who the female lead is?"

"Scar?"

Duke remembered Scarlett Johansson mentioning last time that she had accompanied Sofia to scout locations in Tokyo.

"She really can't keep a secret," Sofia Coppola muttered, then added, "Scar's acting has improved tremendously."

"Yeah." Duke nodded. "You've already molded her into an indie darling."

Sofia laughed and lowered her voice. "My film is aiming for an Oscar. Who knows, maybe your Return of the King will end up competing with me."