Chapter 823: This Is a True Super Blockbuster

The lights on the ceiling went out row by row, and the theater plunged into complete silence. When the large screen lit up, immediately following the iconic Marvel Comics opening, the film cut straight to the chase!

The first to appear wasn't any of the six major heroes but the great villain Loki, alongside a fleeting glimpse of a formidable back.

As a veteran comic and movie fan, Rune Weber instantly knew that back had to belong to Thanos.

Was he the super boss of this movie? Or the ultimate villain of the entire series?

Briefly recalling the trailers, Rune Weber concluded the latter was much more likely.

The film carried on the tradition of Duke's productions with an incredibly fast pace. It never dragged its feet, heading straight for the core conflict. Less than three minutes into the opening, the major villain Loki stood in the S.H.I.E.L.D. experimental base, slaughtering everything in his path. At the same time, he used the Scepter in his hand to mind-control Hawkeye Clint Barton and the others.

The opening battle was thrilling enough. Gunfights, car chases, explosions, and crashing aircraft all played out across the large screen. Watching special effects so realistic they were practically flawless, Rune Weber and the rest of the audience could feel the absolute sincerity from Duke and Marvel Comics.

Why did audiences walk into theaters?

The director clearly understood this, delivering the visual feast they wanted to see most.

"From now on, we are at war!"

Nick Fury's words beat against their hearts like a drum. Many realized the opening setup was done; the main course was about to be served.

"What do we do?" Agent Coulson asked Nick Fury.

No one answered. The film answered with its title—The Avengers!

"Oh man, she's hot!"

A low sigh sounded from nearby. "Black Widow is just as beautiful and sexy as ever."

"Her combat skills are just as amazing."

This was a fast, fierce fight sequence, showcasing the combat style Natasha Romanoff was best at. She was the key figure who would bring The Avengers together.

After the buildup of five films, including Iron Man, the audience was extremely familiar with all six members of The Avengers. Both their personalities and their stances were long-established facts.

The film offered no explanations or interpretations for these characters, nor did it waste much breath. It cut directly into the plot at a fast pace, telling the story straight away. Without needing any setup, it plunged the audience into the climax from the very beginning, maintaining that high-spirited excitement throughout.

Hawkeye, Black Widow, Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America appeared before the audience one by one.

Aside from the grand spectacles and superhero interactions, the film also won over the audience—including Rune Weber—with omnipresent touches of humor.

"When the next tower is finished," Tony Stark told Pepper, "it'll have your name on it."

And Pepper's response was—better to just put her name on the property deed...

Of course, playing the clown basically fell to Iron Man. Throughout the film, he lacked any seriousness, constantly mocking, ridiculing, and showing off.

"Captain America doesn't seem to stand out much!"

As the scene transitioned onto the Helicarrier, Rune Weber once again heard the person next to him. It was true; compared to the dazzling Iron Man, who enjoyed more screen time, Captain America's performance could only be considered average. He was even mocked by Tony Stark as an old man and a Popsicle.

Compared to freaks like Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Loki, Captain America's combat prowess didn't seem particularly overwhelming either.

Fortunately, Captain America was the type to grow stronger when facing strong opponents. Though he might not be a match for those super freaks, he still possessed a certain level of combat prowess. The internal conflict among the Big Three—him, Iron Man, and Thor—in particular left Rune Weber utterly mesmerized, cheering inwardly at the thrill.

This was a true super blockbuster! This was The Avengers he envisioned in his heart!

Seeing the superheroes fully assembled on the Helicarrier, Rune Weber couldn't stop the excitement rising within him. They had waited entirely too long for this scene.

Naturally, gathering a bunch of super freaks and expecting them to fight as a cohesive unit was absolutely no easy task.

They were a group of eccentric personalities: a pair of ninety-year-old super-soldiers who had fought in World War II, a playboy egomaniac inventor, a massive brute who could go berserk at any moment and couldn't control himself, and a god from Asgard!

Just thinking about the trouble these people could cause when thrown together was enough to give anyone a headache.

This was especially true with the wise-cracking Tony Stark among them, who constantly tossed out sarcastic remarks at his teammates. There were times Rune Weber genuinely wanted to punch him a few times to vent his frustration, though he also admitted that compared to the other superheroes, Iron Man's character design was simply too prone to stealing the spotlight.

"My dad actually couldn't stop praising this guy," Tony Stark mocked Steve Rogers. "They really should've left him as a Popsicle!"

"Take off the Iron Armor, and what are you?" Captain America refused to back down.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist..."

Like all teams, moving from simply being thrown together to finally fighting as a united front required a period of adjustment.

"What kind of team are we? Putting us together will only cause chaos. We're a ticking time bomb."

That line was absolutely the perfect description of their beginnings.

How could a group of eccentrically bizarre freaks be united?

Past Hollywood movies had long since provided the answer, which was also the method audiences liked and accepted the most. The film didn't do anything unorthodox in this regard, still employing this simplest and most effective approach.

A massive setback and the death of a mutual friend naturally became the best way to force them to unite.

Iron Man and Captain America's collaboration, Hulk's clashes with Black Widow and Thor, and Black Widow's close-quarters combat with Hawkeye not only drew continuous cheers from the audience but even won bursts of applause.

"Incredible!" Rune Weber said, not even blinking as his mind raced. "It's even better than expected. This is definitely the best movie of the Summer Season!"

"Duke did an outstanding job," a Yahoo Entertainment reporter said amidst the applause. "His film is as excellent as always."

Though the other reporter didn't speak, he nodded hurriedly in agreement.

The film was more than halfway through, and it was indeed better than they had anticipated. Stripping away any unrealistic artsy expectations, this was simply the perfect super commercial blockbuster for the Summer Season.

The pacing of this film was incredibly fast, practically suffocating. It left the audience absolutely no time to overthink. One dazzling battle after another—none of them causing aesthetic fatigue—was constantly presented before the audience by Duke, like a magnificent banquet.

As the portal on the screen opened, the final battle kicked off. The battlefield was chosen at the landmark Hollywood most loved to destroy—Manhattan!

The Avengers, having endured their setbacks, were geared up and ready. The ultimate battle was on the verge of breaking out.

"I have an army!"

"We have a Hulk!"

Even at a moment like this, Iron Man's smart mouth continued to strike, drawing bursts of involuntary laughter from the audience.

"If we can't protect Earth, we will definitely avenge it!"

Earth was going to be destroyed again?

Earth was going to be saved by superheroes again?

This was a theme in major Hollywood commercial productions that would never go out of style. The reason Hollywood was so passionate about such subjects was very simple: the audience loved them!

Rune Weber had lost count of how many times his blood had boiled with excitement, but when the most exhilarating scene appeared, he did the exact same thing as the rest of the audience.

He clapped! He clapped hard!

The six major members of The Avengers—for the first time! Truly standing together!

Captain America, Steve Rogers! Iron Man, Tony Stark! Hulk! Thor! Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff! Hawkeye, Clint Barton!

Amidst a rousing score akin to a space opera, the six of them stood in a circle and unleashed a battle cry!

Even if they couldn't protect Earth, they would absolutely avenge it!

The Avengers had finished assembling!

Though the six superheroes varied in strength, they fully displayed their respective abilities. Duke had done an excellent job of blending a group of superheroes who would have otherwise clashed on screen into a unified whole.

Rune Weber was highly satisfied with this film, finding almost nothing to complain about. Although it felt like the aliens weren't all that powerful entering the final battle, they still served as the perfect backdrop to highlight The Avengers.

Besides, this was a consistent trait of Marvel superhero movies: god-like protagonists and garbage-tier villains.

They were meant to self-insert as the protagonists anyway; what did it matter if the villains were garbage?

As a typical superhero blockbuster, the movie definitely wouldn't pull any messy or baffling conclusions. And so, the ending the audience loved most unfolded: the brain-dead S.H.I.E.L.D. council launched a Nuclear Bomb; Iron Man flew the Nuclear Bomb into the portal; the Nuclear Bomb destroyed the aliens' mothership; Black Widow closed the portal; Iron Man fell back to Earth just before the portal shut; and Hulk saved Iron Man...

In short, this was a standard Hollywood-style happy ending!

The film reached its conclusion. Thor and Loki—the good brothers who loved and hated each other—returned to Asgard, while the other Avengers went their separate ways, awaiting the next assembly!

Rune Weber was also awaiting the next assembly of The Avengers!

His two companions next to him were also discussing when The Avengers would assemble again!

On the other side, the two reporters were discussing how to pry the time for The Avengers' second assembly from the mouths of Marvel Pictures and Warner Brothers!

Countless voices reached Rune Weber's ears, almost all of them praising the movie. Ninety-nine percent of the audience, just like him, were extremely satisfied with The Avengers!

The screening came to an end. The entire audience stood up collectively and clapped hard, the applause enduring endlessly.