Chapter 589: Phenomenal Director

With comic book adaptations surging in popularity in recent years, an increasing number of excellent titles had made their way to the big screen. Iron Man was destined to be one of the lucky projects to reap massive benefits from this tide.

Comic book adaptations had a long history, but strictly speaking, their true rise as mainstream commercial blockbusters began with Spider-Man.

In 2002, Sony Columbia scored massive box office success with this tale of a teenager's abnormal coming-of-age after accidentally gaining superpowers. The returns were so staggering that studio executives believed the comic book hero craze sparked by Christopher Reeve had returned.

Consequently, massive budgets were funneled into comic book adaptations. One prominent superhero after another was sent to the big screen for the audience's entertainment, steadily driving up the genre's popularity over the years.

Of course, this phenomenon also relied on the immense popularity these superheroes already enjoyed in America. When audiences saw the comic book characters they had grown up reading come vividly to life, they naturally flocked to theaters to show their support.

This inevitably brought up the two titans of the American comic industry: Marvel and DC.

Founded back in the 1930s, these two companies had spent decades establishing the golden rule of American comics: as long as the public wanted to see a comic book hero, that hero would never die.

In North America, once an artist created a superhero, the comic publisher controlled their fate. To maintain the character's freshness and ensure an endless stream of creative inspiration, the publisher would pass the hero through multiple hands, allowing different artists to contribute to their ongoing story. While the foundational design remained unchanged, different illustrators would embellish the character with their own styles.

As the eras passed, a growing roster of artists contributed to a character's legacy. This allowed a superhero to remain active in comic books for decades, cultivating an astonishing number of fans along the way.

As long as the film's quality was sound, this guaranteed a massive baseline audience.

Iron Man not only possessed these traits but executed them even better.

Therefore, when midnight passed on the West Coast and Duke received the preliminary box office figures for the advance screenings, he wasn't surprised. They had utilized every possible format to run extensive, highly targeted promotional marketing.

"How much?"

In the room, Scarlett seemed a bit impatient. The films she had starred in previously had certainly garnered good professional reviews, but none had performed exceptionally well at the box office. This left her with a hollow reputation; her asking price for acting roles simply couldn't be raised.

Dedicating herself to art? Scarlett had never entertained the thought, and out of everyone she knew mingling in this industry, not a single one actually held that mindset either.

If basic expenses were a struggle, how could anyone focus on creative expression or getting into character?

It was widely known that a famous Hollywood actress's expenses were astronomical. Take clothing, for example: an outfit worn in public and photographed by paparazzi could never be worn again. Other necessities—homes, vehicles, assistants, cosmetics—all required massive amounts of money.

Without commercial sponsorships, these costs would be unbearable for many, especially for a star in Scarlett's current position. Because she had leaned so heavily toward indie and arthouse films in the past, her actual income wasn't high. She also couldn't casually accept commercial endorsements—she had to maintain her prestige—so she was the only one who truly understood the underlying bitterness of her situation.

It wasn't hard to understand why so many highly artistic, indie-focused actresses were always so eager to transition into commercial blockbusters.

Unless an actress won a heavyweight award like an Oscar for a leading or supporting role, it didn't matter how good her acting was. Without proving herself in a mainstream production, it was incredibly difficult to command a high salary.

In a country that so highly valued independence and freedom, no one wanted to completely rely on someone else.

Duke could roughly guess what was on Scarlett's mind, so he didn't keep her in suspense. He stated directly, "3,900 advance screenings brought in around 12.6 million dollars."

"So the market response has been pretty good?" Scarlett asked, looking at Duke.

Duke laughed. "I'd say it's been exceptionally good."

He gently patted Scarlett's hand. "Go to sleep early. Didn't you have plans to meet with Rachel McAdams first thing in the morning?"

Although Duke and Scarlett went to sleep with peace of mind, Marvel Pictures remained brightly lit. With the rough statistics from the advance screenings in hand, Kevin Feige breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't start celebrating just yet; the midnight screenings across North America were already kicking off.

"Warner Brothers' distribution capabilities and Duke's production standards are both trustworthy."

He watched Avi Arad pacing around the office and added, "We've already seen the movie. The quality is absolutely guaranteed; it's on par with any of Duke's previous films."

"I know. The film is even more brilliant than I imagined," Avi Arad said, finally sitting down. "But this is a movie that dictates the fate of the company."

Kevin Feige feigned a relaxed tone. "I think we should start planning our next movie."

Iron Man was not only the vessel for Marvel's hopes but also the linchpin of their future development. Until they saw whether this film succeeded or failed, Marvel simply didn't have the resolve or the courage to pour massive funds into prepping another superhero movie.

Now, however, their confidence was fully bolstered.

There was another important figure for Marvel in the office.

Perhaps due to his age, Stan Lee wasn't as anxious as Kevin Feige and Avi Arad. He seemed remarkably composed, merely sitting quietly at the computer and scrolling through related reviews online.

He may have been old, but his spirit certainly wasn't. He skillfully logged into his Instant Sharing account, and several trending audience reviews for Iron Man immediately popped up on the screen.

Stan Lee knew exactly what Marvel's superhero films needed. No review from a professional media outlet could ever be as direct as the audience's perspective.

"Another Hollywood comic book superhero has made his big-screen debut. Iron Man Tony Stark's entrance is seriously arrogant—suave, dashing, and boasting an off-the-charts IQ. Women? They're like changes of clothes, left in his bed in the morning without him ever remembering their names. A government award for outstanding contribution? Something he'd casually hand off to a random passerby. Weapons? He easily builds an invincible high-tech suit of armor in a cave, something others couldn't accomplish in a lifetime."

"Duke has showcased his brilliance once again. The depiction of the hero's origin and his psychological evolution is absolutely stellar. The transition from playboy and Lord of War to an armored superhero is incredibly convincing. This Iron Man is an astonishingly brilliant piece of work."

"To sum up the strengths of Iron Man, I think it comes down to four aspects: the action is exhilarating, the acting is witty, it's packed with fresh ideas, and it absolutely deserves a sequel."

Seeing this, the old man gave a slight nod. The reviews on Instant Sharing were overwhelmingly one-sided.

Naturally, they were leaning entirely toward stellar word-of-mouth.

'Having Duke Rosenberg direct Marvel's opening chapter was truly the right choice.'

Stan Lee sighed inwardly. He closed Instant Sharing and logged onto IMDB. The first thing he checked was the IMDB rating; for men of his older generation, such scores still held a lot of weight.

32,114 users, and an 8.8 rating—it was already an excellent start.

A score like that was high enough to break into the top 30 of the IMDB TOP250. However, Stan Lee knew very well that the rating would inevitably drop as time went on.

Take The Lord of the Rings 3: The Return of the King, for example. Following its release, Duke's film had consistently held the number one spot on IMDB. Since the beginning of this year, however, it had slowly slipped to second place, allowing Francis Coppola's The Godfather to reclaim the throne.

But that did nothing to shake Duke's standing on IMDB. On the world's largest movie website, the TOP250 list was easily the feature most enthusiastically discussed by film fans.

With the sole exception of Daylight, every single one of Duke's other films had made the list. This dominance was especially apparent in the top ten, where The Lord of the Rings 3: The Return of the King, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and Saving Private Ryan were all proudly displayed.

He alone occupied four of the ten slots.

In the eyes of fans who practically worshipped IMDB ratings, Duke was undoubtedly a phenomenal director.

A filmmaker like him, much like a certain legendary director of the past, commanded a massive legion of fanatic fans across North America and around the globe.

Stan Lee was keenly aware of this. It was also one of the key reasons why Marvel Comics had allowed Duke, a relative latecomer, to participate in charting out their grand franchise plan.

After all, everyone understood that an insane number of fanatic fans ultimately translated to immense market value.

For a commercial film director, was there any metric more important than market value?

Stan Lee then shifted his gaze toward the IMDB reviews.

"Even though I've grown tired of superhero movies where they just save the world, I have to admit that Iron Man is incredibly cool! The visual effects are truly fantastic, easily boasting the best CGI of our time. That alone was my biggest reason for watching it. And the gear in this movie—OMG! That house, all the stuff in the lab, those robotic arms that can actually understand human speech, the sports cars, the sheer destructive power of the missiles, the mid-air test flight of the new armor, its first deployment in combat... it's all beyond badass!"

"The creation of the Iron Man suit was brimming with a metallic aesthetic. It's incredibly flashy. The exquisite special effects felt completely natural and seamless, providing an outstanding viewing experience. As for the plot, it was remarkably smooth and flowed perfectly without dragging. It had no glaring plot holes while still remaining fully engaging. Another consistently brilliant production by Duke Rosenberg."

After browsing the online reviews for a while, perhaps because his mind was finally at ease, Stan Lee actually dozed off. By the time someone woke him up, a pale light had already seeped through the windows. Dawn was breaking.

Stan Lee suddenly realized something was off. Strange, chaotic roars were constantly echoing throughout Marvel Pictures' small office building, sounding as though demonic undead had just crawled out of hell.