Chapter 537: Sowing Discord

The night sky darkened. Spotlights illuminated every inch of the red carpet, but they could not keep the starry expanse overhead from fading to an inky black. Star after star walked the carpet, yet none could command the attention of the spectacle to come.

Suddenly, a brilliant beam of light shot upward into the pitch-black sky, as if something had taken flight. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the beam gradually coalesced, forming the massive silhouette of a bat high above.

"Batman!"

Someone shouted the name, and the crowds lining both sides of the red carpet instantly boiled over. "Batman! Batman! Batman..."

The scattered voices fell into a unified chant, the sound rolling down the street as if the citizens of Gotham, ravaged by crime in the comics, were calling out for their protector.

Was there a Batman in the real world? And where was Bruce Wayne?

The sudden roar of an engine echoed from down the street, rapidly drawing closer. Fans stood on tiptoe to peer toward the intersection, and they were not disappointed. Seconds later, an imposing, pitch-black beast of a vehicle turned onto the road leading to the theater. As it approached the red carpet, the legions of fans finally laid eyes on the Batmobile that had stolen the show in the trailers.

"Cool!"

"Wild, agile, unmatched! I want one so bad!"

"I just want to see a car that cool!"

Countless exclamations of awe rang out. The Batmobile rolled to a stop at the head of the red carpet, and its canopy automatically swung open. Dressed in a sharp suit, Bruce Wayne—or rather, Christian Bale—stepped out of the vehicle and onto the carpet, surrounded by an endless sea of flashing cameras.

This grand, custom-designed entrance instantly stole the show.

Only a few short minutes had passed between the Bat-Signal lighting up the sky and Christian Bale stepping out of the Batmobile. Yet the entrance pushed the premiere's atmosphere to a fever pitch, making it feel as though the entire crowd had stepped into the wondrous world protected by Batman.

In the photo area in front of the theater, Doug Walter watched the sensation caused by the Batmobile and Bale. "If we added Superman and Wonder Woman," he said to Duke, "the simultaneous appearance of the Justice Big Three would definitely create an even stronger impact."

"Don't rush it, Doug." Duke withdrew his gaze from the red carpet. "This is just the beginning. We'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

He had already discussed this with Warner Bros. The current Batman Trilogy was a standalone series, entirely separate from any broader cinematic universe. It absolutely would not feature godlike beings like Superman or Wonder Woman; their existence would clash completely with the films' grounded tone.

In truth, the hardest part of a DC film franchise wasn't Superman. Even if a Superman movie bombed, it wouldn't lose too much money; the character possessed too much established popularity and merchandise support. Wonder Woman was the real challenge. As the most famous female superhero in American comic books, she was practically synonymous with feminism.

Such a film would struggle to appeal to male audiences. No matter how loudly people championed gender equality, this remained a standard patriarchal society.

It wasn't just Wonder Woman; all female superhero movies were incredibly difficult to make. Take Black Widow, for example.

At that thought, Duke caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. Scarlett Johansson was standing next to Aerin Lauder, chatting about something.

According to the plan, Duke was adding Black Widow into Iron Man. Like Nick Fury, she was a crucial character for tying the Avengers together. However, unlike Nick Fury's pure cameo roles, Black Widow would have heavily weighted scenes across several films, even though she wouldn't be getting a standalone movie right away.

Moreover, Marvel's screenwriters hadn't stuck to her original backstory. This version of Agent Natasha Romanoff, just like Captain America / Steve Rogers, was a legacy veteran from the World War II era.

As an incredibly senior agent, she had the gravitas required to recruit one superhero after another.

Naturally, if the timing was right, Marvel would also release a standalone film for Natasha Romanoff.

After Christian Bale finished walking the red carpet as the grand finale, the cast and crew gathered. Once the routine group photos wrapped up, Duke led the way into the theater, heading for the VIP lounge with Doug Walter.

"Long time no see, Duke."

Seeing the siblings approach, Duke offered a plain greeting. "Hello, David."

"This is my sister, Megan Ellison," David Ellison introduced.

"Hello, Miss Ellison."

"Hello, Director Rosenberg."

The two shook hands lightly before David Ellison spoke again. "We're really looking forward to your movie."

"Is that so?" Duke gave a faint smile. "Actually, I'm much more looking forward to the film you invested in, Flyboys."

Unlike David Ellison's slightly mocking tone, Duke sounded as if he genuinely could not wait to see the movie.

But when his words reached David Ellison's ears, they seemed to carry an entirely different undertone.

"Are you really expecting David's movie to succeed?" Megan Ellison asked.

Duke glanced at her but said nothing. Given his age and status, there was no need to bicker with a girl who wasn't even twenty yet.

"Do you think his movie will succeed?" A young woman's voice, not particularly loud but dripping with obvious sarcasm, rang out from just behind Duke. "You're so naive."

Scarlett Johansson stepped up in her high heels, coming to a stop by Duke's side. Before Megan Ellison could speak, Scarlett offered another soft jibe. "Do you know what people in Hollywood call your brother?"

At this, both David and Megan Ellison glared fiercely at Scarlett Johansson.

But Scarlett had long since honed her social instincts by frequently attending high-society events alongside Mrs. Leah. Her feigned sweetness was deployed depending on the person and the occasion; though that little girl had endured a massive family tragedy back then, a fair bit of her original sharp temperament still remained.

She smiled politely, but the words leaving her mouth were far from pleasant. "In Hollywood, everyone says David..."

"You don't mind me calling you that, right? Thanks." Scarlett continued, "They all say he's just waving a blank check around like a..."

She didn't finish the sentence, opting for a simple shrug instead, but anyone with half a brain knew she wasn't omitting a compliment.

"You..."

Still possessing the temperament of a spoiled brat, Megan Ellison instantly flared up at Scarlett's provocation. Fortunately, she remembered where she was and tried her best to restrain herself. "I know who you are. You're Scarlett Johansson, right? I'm going to enter Hollywood in the future, and I'll invest in every project you want a part in—just so I can kick you to the curb..."

Hearing this, Duke almost laughed out loud. The girl didn't understand the rules of Hollywood at all; she was completely spoiled.

David Ellison tugged at his sister's arm, but Megan just turned and glared at him before pressing on. "No production crew will ever hire you! You'll be reduced to absolute worthlessness, Scarlett Johansson!"

"Oh, that sounds terrifying."

Scarlett reached up and linked her arm through Duke's. "Duke has already decided to cast me in a whole series of films. I wonder how you plan on convincing him to drop me. Oh... there's one little detail you probably missed. His personal net worth is pushing ten billion dollars. Your pocket change isn't going to do much."

Megan Ellison's face turned ugly. Scarlett Johansson's gaze quickly swept over David Ellison, her eyes darting as she deliberately adopted a helpful tone. "I know your dad is filthy rich. But please don't forget, Miss Ellison—the man standing next to you is the primary heir. With him around, just how much of the family fortune do you think you'll actually inherit?"

Duke couldn't help but glance at Scarlett. The Ellison siblings used to be quite famous in Hollywood, and he vaguely remembered that after they both reached adulthood, their relationship had teetered on the brink of collapse.

This subtle attempt at sowing discord might not have a lasting effect, but it clearly ruined Megan Ellison's mood. When it came to bickering, she was simply no match for Scarlett, who had once been a notorious chatterbox. Defeated and sullen, Megan turned on her heel and stormed off.

David Ellison shot Scarlett Johansson a look, gave Duke a rather haughty nod, and left right behind his sister.

"How did I do?" Scarlett asked playfully, clinging to Duke's arm. "I chased off two bad guys for you."

"Not bad," Duke said after a moment's thought. "But the provocation was a bit too amateurish."

"You just don't understand the minds of girls her age," Scarlett Johansson replied, sounding like an absolute expert. "The simpler and more direct the provocation, the more effective it usually is."

Duke checked his watch and began walking toward the cast and crew. Scarlett returned to Aerin Lauder's side; she understood Duke's personality perfectly and knew better than to bother him with trivial matters while he was working.

As for the siblings' movie, Scarlett Johansson didn't give it a second thought. She knew they had pulled some tricks recently, but if they thought that was enough to take down Duke, they were hopelessly naive.

She had known him for over a decade. He was an incredibly resilient and persistent man with nerves of steel.

Duke and Charles Roven led the crew and the other VIP guests into the screening hall. The regular audience seats were already packed to the brim, with nearly a thousand people eagerly awaiting the premiere of Batman Begins.

Eight years had passed since the release of the last Batman film, Batman and Robin. Whether the franchise would sink into complete oblivion or be reborn right here would be answered this weekend.

Sarah from the Los Angeles Times knew very well that the first week's box office would essentially determine the life or death of Batman's cinematic journey. If the opening weekend hit Warner Bros.' expectations, given the steady trajectory typical of Duke's films, Batman was bound to find new life on the big screen. But if the opening numbers fell far short of expectations, the consequences would be severe.