Hollywood Road

This year, New York heated up especially early. As a new week began, the blazing sun poured down from the sky, baking the Big Apple and generating waves of heat across Manhattan's districts.

At Marvel Comics headquarters, the air conditioning was turned on earlier than usual this year, providing a refreshing contrast that felt like stepping into another world.

However, this refreshing atmosphere did nothing to dispel the gloom hanging over Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, and Stan Lee as they sat in a lounge, staring intently at the television screen, watching what they least wanted to see being broadcast widely.

"The news just in, produced and distributed by Warner Brothers and directed by Murphy-Stanton, the Warner/DC superhero blockbuster 'Man of Steel' has hit the ground running at the box office since its release last Thursday. As expected, it has surpassed 'Spider-Man 3' and 'Shrek 3,' which were released in the previous two weeks, and has taken the top spot in the North American box office charts."

Hearing that it had surpassed 'Spider-Man 3,' Avi Arad and Kevin Feige, although not pleased, managed to maintain their composure. After all, that film was produced and distributed by Sony Columbia, and strictly speaking, didn't have a very deep connection with Marvel Comics.

Stan Lee, however, looked significantly more distressed. Despite his advanced age, his wrinkled face had turned notably darker—a reflection of his mood, indescribable to others but clear to himself. No one wished more than he to see DC falter. Stan Lee, dubbed the father of Marvel superheroes, knew how many of his characters had been inspired by DC's superheroes?

In recent years, Stan Lee's creations had been conquering cinemas, leaving DC superhero movies searching for their teeth—a sweet victory for a once-criticized student over his teacher in his own field of expertise.

Since the decline of DC superhero films and the rise of Marvel superheroes on the big screen, fewer people and media mentioned those past events.

As long as Marvel superheroes continued to succeed and DC superhero movies continued to fail, these criticisms would eventually fade into the dust of history. Future generations would remember the Avengers and him as the father of Marvel superheroes—who would care how much was inspired by DC superheroes?

This trend had been moving in the direction Stan Lee had hoped for until the release of 'Man of Steel.'

Even though he was reluctant, Stan Lee's eyes remained glued to the television screen.

"As the foundational and critical installment of Warner's 'Justice League' plan, 'Man of Steel,' a joint effort between Warner Brothers and DC Comics directed by the renowned young director Murphy-Stanton, had a massive production budget of $200 million. Under the pressure of continuous failures in their superhero movies, successive successes of the 'Spider-Man' series, and the official establishment of Marvel Studios, DC Comics and Warner Brothers faced tremendous pressure. 'Man of Steel' holds a crucial strategic position in Warner's film plans for the coming years—it simply had to succeed."

"Starting last Friday, 'Man of Steel' premiered in 4,250 theaters across North America. Murphy-Stanton, seen as a savior by Warner Brothers, did not disappoint, leading 'Man of Steel' to rake in $46.2 million on its opening day, followed by an impressive increase to $51.45 million on Saturday, and $43.55 million on Sunday, totaling $143.2 million over the weekend. This easily crushed the $29.21 million of 'Spider-Man 3,' which was in its third week, and the $47.66 million of 'Shrek 3,' in its second week, dominating the North American box office."

"With the weekend box office results, 'Man of Steel' has also become the highest-grossing opening for director Murphy-Stanton and its stars. Notably, according to statistics from Wall Street institutions, approximately 31% of the $144.2 million North American weekend box office came from Murphy-Stanton's supporters!"

"The demographic of 'Man of Steel's' audience was 41% female and 64% over the age of twenty-five, indicating a robust and stable long-term potential. Additionally, with an 'A+' CinemaScore from theater audiences, the film has undoubtedly reached the standard expected of a high-quality blockbuster. With strong viewer and critical acclaim and a solid start, the film is expected to easily exceed $300 million in North American box office."

Hearing this figure, Stan Lee's expression darkened further. A $300 million box office for 'Man of Steel' would inevitably reignite interest in DC superheroes among fans and comic enthusiasts...

"As for the critical reception of 'Man of Steel,' it has an 83% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, almost universally praised by critics with an average score of 7.9. On MetaCritic, which aggregates scores from 87 professional media outlets, it opened with a score of 77, fully deserving

 of the description 'spectacular.'"

Stan Lee suddenly closed his eyes. No Marvel superhero film had ever achieved such high acclaim.

He didn't want to continue watching, but the sound from the TV still reached his ears, clear and unavoidable.

"The New York Times described Murphy-Stanton's 'Man of Steel' as an artist-level introduction to a screen hero we thought we knew, unlike the large-scale reality escapism of the 'Spider-Man' and 'X-Men' series."

"Famous 'Film.com' stated that 'Man of Steel' powerfully redefines the overused term 'epic' in recent summer slots."

"Empire magazine noted that while 'Man of Steel' might not focus enough on depth, warmth, and humor, it is nevertheless a spectacular sci-fi epic—grand, melancholic, operatic, and unforgettable. Murphy-Stanton has told a Superman origin story that fits our times and kicks off a popular series."

"USA Today highly praised the film for its narrative that alternates between soaring highs and dark, thought-provoking depths. Director Murphy-Stanton has not only delivered the robust and handsome appearance that Superman requires but also a human side that matches his superpowers!"

Finally, the program ended. Avi Arad, holding the remote, turned off the TV. He seemed to be discussing 'Man of Steel' with Kevin Feige, but Stan Lee wasn't listening. He was occupied with a thought that had suddenly struck him.

Even without being a Hollywood insider, Stan Lee knew that 'Man of Steel' had achieved a dual harvest of box office and critical acclaim.

He counted forward and looked back, realizing that no Marvel superhero film had achieved what 'Man of Steel' had.

"Why has 'Man of Steel' been so successful?" Stan Lee asked himself.

The previous 'Superman Returns' had caused Warner Brothers and DC Comics considerable distress. How many years had it been since a DC superhero movie had succeeded? It had been so long that Stan Lee could hardly remember the last successful DC superhero film.

"Why has the DC superhero film series, which seemed to have plummeted off a cliff, suddenly been reborn?"

This was the question of utmost concern to Stan Lee, who was undoubtedly one of the people least eager to see DC superhero films succeed.

But the fact remained, and ignoring it wouldn't make it disappear.

Thus, just as DC Comics once dominated and Marvel Comics struggled, Stan Lee began to ponder carefully. Unlike before, however, the answers to these questions now seemed straightforward, even simple.

In fact, both questions had one answer!

Stan Lee's mouth opened slightly, the name on his lips but not spoken out loud—Murphy-Stanton!

Yes, Murphy-Stanton! This young Hollywood director had single-handedly integrated Superman perfectly into his own dark style, leading a turnaround for DC superhero movies.

"A personal style so strong in a blockbuster, it wouldn't matter if it wasn't successful..." Kevin Feige's words reached Stan Lee's ears. "But once it succeeds, it's bound to be a massive success."

Avi Arad agreed, "Murphy-Stanton has introduced another successful model for blockbusters to Hollywood with 'Man of Steel.' Summer blockbusters don't have to be just about popcorn; they can also be dark, deep, and substantial and still succeed."

"Murphy-Stanton has brought more than just box office success to 'Man of Steel'; he has brought style and critical acclaim," said Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios' CEO, who had a deeper understanding of the film industry. "If DC superhero films can follow the model Murphy-Stanton has established, the entire 'Justice League' series can also be built on a unified style."

At this point, Kevin Feige suddenly felt a pang of regret. Perhaps they should not have initially refused Murphy-Stanton's offer of collaboration, which could have prevented the success of 'Man of Steel.'

And the critical acclaim—as he understood, Sony Columbia Pictures had canceled the sequels to 'Spider-Man 3' due to poor reviews, to save the potential and popularity of the series.

In contrast, the stellar reviews for 'Man of Steel' brought by Murphy-Stanton would surely lay a solid foundation of supporters. When other DC series movies were released, a basic audience group would be guaranteed. If Murphy-Stanton continued to collaborate with Warner Brothers, each film would have a certain quality assurance, and by the time they reached 'Justice League,' it might unleash unbelievable energy.

"Kevin, Avi..."

Stan Lee, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, interrupting Kevin Feige's thoughts, "I've had some new ideas for the upcoming 'Iron Man.'"

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