Hollywood Road

"Is there a problem with the style we've planned for our Marvel superhero movies?" Stan Lee asked Kevin Feige and Avi Arad with serious concern. "Are the style and themes too juvenile?"

Hearing this and thinking about the success of "Man of Steel," both Feige and Arad appeared thoughtful. The "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" series were indeed quite successful, but they understood that these successes were not directly related to Marvel Comics. The production and distribution of these series were handled by 20th Century Fox and Sony Columbia, respectively—both part of Hollywood's big six with considerable experience in film operations, far beyond what Marvel Studios, a newcomer, could match.

Stan Lee sighed quietly and continued, "Murphy-Stanton has proven that dark and serious themes in commercial films not only have an audience but that this audience is quite broad. Our Marvel superheroes inherently have depth and substance; why can't we pursue a similar path?"

He shook his head and added, "Must we turn our heroes into a bunch of stand-up comedians? Why can't we, like Murphy-Stanton, give our superheroes more substance and a more elevated presence?"

Avi Arad frowned slightly. "Is such imitation really good? Following trends..."

"What's wrong with that?" Stan Lee dismissed the concern. "Marvel and DC have been imitating each other since the comic days decades ago; it's nothing new in films."

He emphasized, "Both 'X-Men 3' and 'Spider-Man 3' had significant issues with reception as the final installments of their trilogies, which greatly affected the sustainability of these series. It has been proven that this model cannot last! In contrast, Murphy-Stanton has been successful with his typical dark style since entering Hollywood, demonstrating the market potential for dark-themed movies. Why shouldn't we use this proven successful model?"

"You make a good point," Avi Arad nodded slightly.

Despite some viewers severely criticizing "Man of Steel," these individuals were too few. The new Superman film's reception was overwhelmingly positive, far surpassing even the best-received Marvel movies, "Spider-Man" and "X-Men."

This high acclaim could bring substantial future benefits to the series, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Murphy-Stanton had laid a solid foundation for the entire DC series.

"I don't think it's appropriate," Kevin Feige disagreed with Stan Lee. "The chances of us succeeding by doing this are not great."

"Why?" Stan Lee looked at him.

"Because we don't have Murphy-Stanton!" Feige answered.

He continued, looking at Stan Lee, "We've previously refused Murphy-Stanton. If we want to work with him now, it would require a significant gesture of sincerity. Are you willing to personally invite him?"

Stan Lee remained silent.

"Murphy-Stanton has only signed a directorial contract with Warner Brothers for 'Man of Steel,'" Avi Arad reminded.

But Stan Lee stayed silent. He was adept at imitation and borrowing, but he wasn't about to humble himself to court a young upstart.

Indeed, Murphy's contract with Warner Brothers was just for the one film, "Man of Steel," and technically, their agreement had already expired.

However, the Marvel Comics team hadn't lost their senses, especially Kevin Feige, who was always clear-headed. Murphy-Stanton's style might not suit Marvel Studios' superhero films.

"Should we continue to collaborate with Murphy-Stanton?"

In an office in the Burbank Warner building, Diego Harris put down his coffee cup and looked across the desk at Bruce Rosenblum, "Based on his usual style, he should soon start preparing a new project. If we don't start negotiations soon..."

"No!" Bruce Rosenblum raised a finger, "Warner Brothers will no longer collaborate with Murphy-Stanton on this series."

This response was unexpected, and Diego Harris looked puzzled, "Why?"

"Diego, our marketing department has redone the market forecast for 'Man of Steel,'" Rosenblum explained.

Harris was curious, and Rosenblum continued, "According to the film's reviews and North American box office in the first week, the final North American gross of 'Man of Steel' will not be less than $350 million, and there's a very high chance that it will exceed $800 million worldwide."

Harris began to understand Rosenblum's point; Warner Brothers and DC Comics had indeed achieved tremendous success but at a significant cost.

Rosenblum stated bluntly, "We have to pay Murphy-Stanton twenty percent of the global box office as a bonus, plus tens of millions in DVD sales. Warner Brothers is likely to end up paying him over $200 million."

That was indeed a lot of money!

Harris still had doubts, "Without him, the rest of the series..."

"From what we see now, 'Man of Steel' has laid a solid foundation for the entire series," Rosenblum

 confidently stated. "It has also brought a unique style and theme to DC superhero films. As long as we continue in this mode, the subsequent films won't be a problem."

He smiled, "We can look for suitable candidates among less well-known directors with similar styles to avoid high compensation."

"What about Murphy-Stanton?" Harris asked again.

"He's a very smart man. He probably realized this when he first negotiated with us," Rosenblum said straightforwardly. "That's why he demanded such an outrageous salary. He took on this series not for anything else but for the money."

Rosenblum saw it clearly—Murphy took the directorship of "Man of Steel" for the high compensation.

There's nothing wrong with that. Directors should indeed have higher artistic aspirations, but they are also human—they need to live, and they pursue a better quality of life. In today's society, no one can deny that money is the most fundamental condition.

Frankly, Murphy himself didn't expect Warner Brothers to continue collaborating with him.

But right now, he didn't have time to consider these issues; he had more important things to do.

The intense sunlight filtered through the palm trees, and on a pebbled path, the sound of footsteps approached. A tall figure in long combat boots walked slowly into the sparse palm grove. In her right hand, she held a sword, and her left arm bore a shield. Her long, black curly hair draped over her classical Greek armor, and beneath her blue battle skirt, her legs were remarkably long...

Her bright eyes scanned around cautiously, like Wonder Woman fully on guard, ready to deal with a sudden enemy attack.

"This guy..." The warrior woman's face flushed a bit, her expression unusually anxious, "Where has he gone? When I find him, I must..."

Thinking of the upcoming battle made her even more eager, and her anxiety increased. After so much preparation, she had finally set the mood for today...

She swore to herself that in the close combat to follow, she would use all her skills to completely exhaust him!

"Who?"

The palm grove was not large, and behind the largest tree, a piece of chestnut-red cape showed. She called out loudly, "Come out, surrender, Clark, you can't escape!"

A breeze blew, making the cape behind the thick trunk even more visible.

Gal Gadot smirked to herself, "This fool, he thinks he's hidden well."

She drew the Sword of Hephaestus from behind her back, holding it as she strode forward, planning to catch Murphy and spank him with the blade before tying him up with the Lasso of Truth to the tree. Then she could do as she pleased...

Thinking this, Gal Gadot's eyes crinkled with a smile, almost gleaming with excitement.

As she approached the tree, she suddenly sped up. Though not a true warrior, her speed was considerable, thanks to systematic training. In nearly two breaths, she reached the tree, swung around it, raised the Sword of Hephaestus, and prepared to place it at the neck of the person behind.

"Uh..." Gal Gadot's sword halted mid-air.

There was no Superman behind the tree, just his chestnut-red cape tied to it.

At that moment, an arm silently appeared behind her. Just as Gal Gadot noticed the dark blue suit on it, the arm gently encircled her long, pale neck.

"Be careful," a very familiar voice spoke from behind, "Princess Diana Prince."

"When did Superman learn to sneak attack!" Whether intentionally or not, Gal Gadot's words were filled with indignation, "That's despicably shameless!"

"Give me your sword..." came the threatening voice from behind.

Gal Gadot obediently handed over the Sword of Hephaestus, then felt a hand caressing her waist. She looked down to see the Lasso of Truth being taken from her armor by the person behind her.

The sword was pressed against her back, and a commanding voice instructed, "Walk!"

Feeling the tip of the Sword of Hephaestus gently poking her back armor, Gal Gadot cooperated and walked forward to a very smooth column about twenty feet away. The voice behind her spoke again, "Stop! Lean over it!"

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