Chapter 532: Pepper

The black vehicle charged forward like a prehistoric monster, completely unstoppable. Its dark body and heavy lines made it look undeniably cool. Then, the scene shifted. A black figure stood alone atop a skyscraper, overlooking the city he loved and protected. Finally, accompanied by countless bats, he leaped down, spreading his cape to soar through the dark night sky.

"It seems... it actually looks pretty good."

Sitting in front of his computer, Martial finished watching the Batman Begins trailer that had just been released on Instant Sharing.

"Much better than Batman and Robin," he muttered to himself.

Martial was a textbook Batman fan who absolutely loved Bruce Wayne. Even though the trailer ran for less than two minutes, it felt infinitely better than the atrocious Batman and Robin. At the very least, it hadn't been shot as an indoor costume show like that terrible film.

Martial despised Joel Schumacher's two Batman films, especially Batman and Robin. Even including all the comics, animated series, and television shows, it was his most hated piece of Batman media.

After watching the trailer, a thought naturally sprang to mind: perhaps Duke Rosenberg really could revive the series on the big screen.

Wasn't there a test screening for Batman next week?

Suddenly recalling the news he'd heard from a friend who was also a Batman fan, Martial picked up his phone and started dialing, hoping to score a few spots at the screening.

With a week left before the test screening, Duke finished all post-production on Batman Begins. After nearly three months of hard work, the new Batman series was about to embark on its journey.

Besides coordinating with Warner Brothers on marketing and arranging film auditions, Duke gathered the cast and crew to make high-profile appearances at various events, building momentum for the release of Batman Begins.

Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, and Christian Bale frequently attended these events. Making constant public appearances, they inevitably brought up Batman Begins whenever they faced the media and reporters.

During an exclusive interview with Premiere, Christian Bale released two contrasting photos: his skeletal frame from The Machinist, and his muscular physique from Batman Begins. He revealed his insane fitness and weight-gain regimen to the media, detailing how he had endured hellish, grueling training.

Liam Neeson also spoke about his second collaboration with Duke, calling it a magical and wonderful experience, as well as an incredibly enjoyable process.

Anne Hathaway resorted to a common tactic among actresses. She constantly flaunted her romance with her Italian boyfriend and took on a high-profile role on the board of directors for his foundation, successfully drawing massive public attention.

For a cultural icon with as long a history as Batman, the promotional strategy didn't need any wild gimmicks. Duke merely participated in routine marketing events. While keeping an eye on the online campaign's progress, he also accepted media interviews at appropriate moments.

"How does one man change the world?"

Duke said this during an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "Compared to comic heroes like Superman and Spider-Man, Batman is relatively ordinary. He wasn't born an alien noble like Superman, nor did he undergo a genetic mutation like Spider-Man to turn his physical body into a superweapon. He is a true human from Earth. He has no innate superpowers. All he needs is rigorous training."

"He wasn't born Batman, nor did he suddenly become Batman. Becoming Batman was a long process. Batman Begins tells the story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman, why he became Batman, and his psychological acceptance of the Batman identity."

This was actually Batman's greatest distinction. Unlike heroes who passively gained their powers after various accidents, he hadn't been forced into heroism. Instead, he actively chose to become an avatar of fear.

Amidst the busy promotional tour for Batman Begins, Duke also visited Marvel Pictures in Burbank. After years of meticulous preparation, the production company had formulated a comprehensive plan for the Marvel Universe. The very first step of this plan was critical. If their opening film, Iron Man, encountered any mishaps, it would undoubtedly deal a massive blow to the progression of the entire franchise.

Because of this, Marvel Pictures and the entirety of Marvel Comics strongly urged Duke to direct Iron Man. As Marvel's largest shareholder, the franchise's success or failure directly impacted his own vital interests. After some consideration, he had decided to take the director's chair for Iron Man as early as last year.

This was a superhero film with a style drastically different from Batman's. Neither the overarching tone of Marvel's comic heroes nor Tony Stark's personal style in the comics suited a gritty, realistic approach. A realistic, sharp-tongued Iron Man was simply unimaginable.

While taking a realistic approach with Captain America or other heroes wouldn't be much of an issue, Tony Stark's cheerful and snarky personality clashed severely with a realistic style.

No director could just shoot a film however they pleased, especially when Iron Man carried a massive $150 million production budget and served as the opening act for the entire Marvel Series.

It couldn't be forgotten that this wasn't an original film. While extensive adaptations were necessary, the movie couldn't entirely detach itself from the comics.

Moreover, a film leaning toward a family-friendly tone was much more likely to achieve commercial success. The market capacity for a PG-13 film compared to an R-rated one simply wasn't on the same scale.

Of course, Batman Begins hadn't even premiered yet. Duke's visit to Marvel was merely to discuss the most preliminary preparatory work.

"Robert Downey Jr.?"

Hearing Duke's proposed casting choice for Tony Stark, producer Kevin Feige looked somewhat doubtful. "He's not very suitable, is he?"

Although rumors were flying around Hollywood that Robert Downey Jr. had kicked his drug addiction and intended to turn over a new leaf, casting such an actor undoubtedly came with massive uncertainties.

Having been in Hollywood for a while now, Kevin Feige knew perfectly well just how deeply depraved those glamorous, seemingly upstanding actors could be behind closed doors. Perhaps only the people around them truly knew.

Robert Downey Jr. went around telling everyone he was battling his addiction, but whether or not he was actually still using drugs was anyone's guess.

Duke understood that Kevin Feige was worried about exactly this. After a moment of thought, he said, "Kevin, he's just one of the candidates. Even if he is selected, we can draft plenty of stipulations to restrict him."

The current Robert Downey Jr. was a far cry from his peak in the early nineties. His star power had plummeted long ago. If it weren't for the Downey Family and the connections he had forged in the industry, calling him a third-tier actor would be a stretch. Almost no major production was willing to cast him. He had absolutely no leverage to speak of when facing a production studio.

Not to mention, the director he would be facing was someone of Duke's caliber.

"If he can pass the audition..."

Robert Downey Jr. was the primary candidate, but he wasn't the only one. If he genuinely still had a severe drug addiction, Duke absolutely wouldn't use him.

"We can sign a restrictive contract with him," Duke continued. "Before filming begins, we only pay him a quarter or less of his salary. The rest gets paid out only after the film leaves theaters. If he uses drugs and breaches the contract halfway through..."

At this point, Duke shrugged.

"That is indeed a good idea," Kevin Feige nodded.

As long as Robert Downey Jr. passed the audition, just like with Christian Bale, Duke would definitely have Marvel lock him into a long-term contract. Furthermore, a restrictive contract would accompany every single one of his collaborations with Marvel, even if he eventually became a top A-List Star.

No one could say for sure whether this prodigal son might relapse into his junkie lifestyle in the future.

In today's era where information spread infinitely fast and wide, a lead actor's scandal would often deal a massive negative blow to a film.

Conversely, if a lead actor experienced a situation that could attract the audience's attention—such as a sudden death—the production and distribution companies only needed to leverage it slightly to generate immense momentum for the movie.

"What about the female leads?" Kevin Feige deferred entirely to Duke. "Do you have anyone in mind for Pepper and Black Widow?"

"I've already found a rather suitable actress for Black Widow."

Duke thought for a moment before adding, "As for Pepper, let's wait until we officially begin pre-production to hold a large-scale audition."

Pepper's character setting meant they couldn't cast an actress who was too young. She was a mature female assistant, meaning actresses born in the seventies were the most suitable candidates. Duke had no intention of using Gwyneth Paltrow, the original choice for the role. Her temperament was certainly nice, but she couldn't really be considered beautiful, and he had no ties to the Paltrow family anyway.

Actually, in his opinion, Charlize Theron was the most fitting actor for the role. However, given the South African diamond's current salary and industry status, it was impossible for her to accept a supporting role like this.

Even though Charlize Theron had fallen victim to the Best Actress curse just like so many other actresses after winning Oscar Best Actress for Monster—her two subsequent films had both received mediocre reception—she was still an A-List Star, if not a top-tier one. Her asking price for commercial blockbusters was a staggering twenty million dollars.

For the newly established Marvel Pictures, such an actress was far too extravagant a luxury. The fact that Duke and Kevin Feige could agree on Robert Downey Jr. wasn't just because they could place restrictions on him; his plummeted asking price was another major factor.

Even if Duke had the heart to invite her, there was no way Charlize Theron would voluntarily slash her own salary to appear in a commercial blockbuster like this. An actor's salary didn't just affect them personally; it also concerned the massive entourage surrounding them, from their assistants to their publicists and agents.

After a brief discussion at Marvel, Duke returned to his work on Batman Begins. In late April, the film held three consecutive test screenings, and the resulting word-of-mouth reception was mixed.