The first to react were other film companies.
Not just Marvel, but Warner, which holds the DC rights, also noticed the threat of Norton's Eye and chose to use its own superhero IP to compete with Norton's Eye and Marvel for market share.
When it was announced that Zack Snyder would direct a film for Norton's Eye, Warner quickly responded by announcing the project for Batman v Superman.
At this point, anyone could see that the film market was turning into a chaotic battleground for superheroes. The demand for superhero films was growing, and the era of IP production had arrived. In this new era, whoever had more IP series could attract more box office revenue.
However, outside of the three-way battle in the film market, in the comic book market, Valiant Comics was also competing for market share with the two major IPs.
Although Valiant Comics couldn't compete with the two major IPs in traditional superhero themes, under Ethan's leadership, they acquired multiple comic book IPs, including The Boys, and successfully secured the rights to the "Homelander" character.
This character, a deeply violent and cruel man with an Oedipus complex, would undoubtedly become the pillar of future TV series. Therefore, Ethan acted first, gathering both screenwriters and comic book artists under his wing.
At the same time, Norton's Eye had locked down all information about the Drak Shadow movie, advancing the filming according to the pre-planned schedule while secretly working on the special effects.
Many times, a film's box office success simply depends on one thing: speed.
By seizing the first wave of audiences, you can capture the most profit.
To this end, Norton's Eye released several smokescreens, such as announcing the start of filming for the first John Wick movie, a script that had been on hold for many years, with Keanu Reeves finally cast in the role.
For example, the second Twilight movie was announced, with the same lead actors and an even more luxurious supporting cast.
Another example was the announcement of a new Saw spinoff, which would connect with The Conjuring series to create a Conjuring Universe.
With these announcements, the news about Dark Shadow became less noticeable.
During this time,Dark Shadow had frequent setbacks, such as conflicts between the lead actor and the director, prop errors requiring a reshoot, and sudden script changes with the director expressing dissatisfaction with the plot.
These reports came from smaller media outlets, making it hard for people to tell what was true, but one thing was clear: there were certainly internal conflicts on the Dark Shadow set.
This gave Marvel and DC some relief, waiting to see Ethan's mistake.
However, no one expected tha Dark Shadow would complete filming in just four months and finish most of the post-production special effects.
After all, the company was under Ethan's control, and keeping secrets was just a matter of his command.
Meanwhile, Marvel's Black Panther had just started filming and was far from reaching the post-production stage.
So when Norton's Eye announced that Dark Shadow was about to be released, Marvel realized that their Black Panther had no chance to compete with Dark Shadow and was effectively eliminated.
No matter how you put it, the audience's attention would be focused on the upcoming film. So after Dark Shadow released several trailers, it quickly gained massive attention across the U.S. and the world.
Because audiences had never seen a superhero film with a Black lead, curiosity was naturally piqued.
Additionally, people still hadn't grown tired of the superhero formula, so even with the familiar three-act structure of classic upgrade-and-fight plots, audiences still enjoyed it.
Once Dark Shadow was released, its box office skyrocketed to the highest point of the year's box office for the same period.
A large number of Black families came to the theater to watch the film, and some even tried to sneak in by climbing through windows and walls, choosing to stand for the movie.
To this, Ethan could only say that while the sentiment was appreciated, the behavior was lacking.
Although there was some chaos, it translated into a steadily rising box office.
The Black viewers who had seen the film said that the main character, Victorl's, struggles reflected the difficulties faced by the Black community, and they found it very satisfying to watch the Black hero punish the white antagonist. Although this hero suffered many hardships, he ultimately relied on his intelligence and abilities to become a righteous superhero.
This storyline resonated strongly with the Black audience, especially as Ethan had altered the original comic plot.
In the original story, the Lucy allowed Victor to stay clear-headed, but in the movie, it was changed to Victor initiating the plan and asking for the Lucy's help.
The change was simple, but it shifted the dynamic of the story.
When the bald Black man, Madden, a fan of Ethan, watched this scene in the theater, he couldn't hold back his tears.
His friend, the bespectacled Puchi, kindly handed him a tissue.
"Thanks," Madden said, but Puchi replied, "You're welcome. I just used it."
"FXXK YOU!" Madden flipped him the middle finger in disdain.
After the movie, when they were leaving the theater, they happened to be approached by a reporter.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. What did you think of the movie?" The reporter was a typical white man with a hooked nose and green eyes.
"It was great," Madden started to speak, but before he could elaborate, the reporter withdrew the microphone and asked, "Did you like it because the movie had a Black lead?"
"What do you mean by that? Dude?" Madden frowned in confusion and some irritation.
"Oh, sorry, I meant, did you connect with the movie because it had a Black protagonist?" The reporter smiled, but the sarcasm was evident.
Madden was about to respond when Puchi pulled him aside.
The reporter stared at the short white man, puzzled.
"Time's up. You should interview me now," Puchi said with an air of wisdom.
The reporter was speechless, looking at the two from behind.
"Okay, then, what did you think of the film?" the reporter asked.
Puchi, with a smile, cheerfully replied, "It was awesome!"
The reporter nodded, preparing to ask more, but Puchi added, "I mean, your wife."
The control room of the TV station immediately erupted, and the reporter's face instantly turned red.
"That's right, because she's really amazing!" Puchi gave a thumbs-up. "Last night's position was incredible, and her big ass was as bouncy as a sheep's."
The reporter's face turned red with anger. "FXX..."
But Puchi suddenly changed the topic. "Now that I've added some descriptive words, doesn't your sense of immersion feel stronger?"
The reporter's emotions fluctuated like a rollercoaster. He discreetly raised his middle finger, trying to provoke Puchi.
But Puchi continued, "By the way, I suggest you take your wife to remove that mole on her chest. Don't you think it ruins the feel when you're holding her with both hands?"
"FXXK YOU!" The reporter was so furious that he almost choked, his face turning green. Ignoring the fact that this was a live broadcast, he lunged at Puchi.
Madden quickly stepped in to stop them, and the scene turned chaotic.
Ten minutes later, the two were finally separated. Madden and Puchi went to a pharmacy and bought a bottle of iodine to disinfect Puchi's bruises.
"Hey, man, you didn't have to humiliate him like that," Madden said while applying the iodine.
Puchi smirked. "A gutless racist piece of shit like him deserves to be provoked."
"Alright, but was what you said true? How do you know his wife has a mole on her chest?" Madden looked puzzled.
Puchi chuckled. "You know, I work at the TV station now. I haven't seen it myself, but someone else has."
"You mean... my God." Madden finally understood. No wonder that reporter had been so desperate to beat Puchi up.
So, it was true.
"Thanks, buddy."
After applying the medicine, Madden asked, "This won't affect your job, right?"
"Of course not. They have no idea who it was!" Puchi looked confident.
But three days later, when Madden saw his buddy outside the TV station, Puchi looked miserable.
"What happened? Why were you the one fired?"
"Fucking white supremacy! Fucking cowards!" Puchi cursed and then poured out his grievances to Madden.
It turned out that after the reporter went home, he confronted his wife. At first, she refused to admit anything, but when he accused her of sleeping with a dwarf, her pride was hurt.
So, she decided to come clean. She admitted everything and even revealed the man's identity.
The reporter confronted the man at the TV station, but it turned out the guy was a higher-up, and he couldn't do anything about it.
So when he saw Puchi watching the whole thing, he took out his anger on the four-eyed guy and reported him to Puchi's boss.
Although they worked in different departments, for the sake of the TV station's reputation and considering the reporter was a veteran employee, in the end, only Puchi got the short end of the stick.
"So you were the one who got kicked out? Damn, that's messed up." Madden was frustrated. If he had been the one to say those things, none of this would have happened.
"It's fine, man." Puchi patted Madden's shoulder. "Worst case, I'll go apply to Norton's Eye. I've been wanting to work for my idol's company for a while now."
"But your résumé..." Madden hesitated.
"It doesn't matter." Puchi shook his head, then gritted his teeth. "Since they fired me, I won't go easy on them. I'm going to expose everything online."
"Huh?" Madden was shocked. "What exactly are you planning to expose?"
"Heh, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing these past six months, man. I have dirt on every single one of them!" Puchi sneered. "I'm going to ruin them!"
Not long after, a new YouTuber named "Sharp Four Eyes" appeared. He aggressively exposed scandals within the TV station, and with his foul-mouthed rants, he became a cyber spokesperson for many netizens.
Of course, he failed his interview at Norton's Eye. He had applied to be a photographer, but HR rejected him due to his height.
After all the chaos settled down,Dark Shadow finally wrapped up its box office run, reaching $918 million—its most glorious achievement.
Although it didn't break the $1 billion mark, Norton's Eye could extend its screening period for another two months, and it would probably get there.
This film became the only superhero movie under Ethan's banner that didn't surpass $1 billion. But even so, no one dared to look down on it.
Because the issue wasn't the story—it was the target audience.
Ethan wasn't affected by the box office results. Soon, Norton's Eye officially announced the arrival of the ultimate cornerstone of the Super-Cyc Universe.
The film, titled Lucy: Curtain War, would bring together all of Norton's Eye's superheroes to uncover the truth behind Earth's isolation from the galaxy. At the same time, the ultimate villain, Adam Hammer, would make his return.
Fans erupted with excitement upon hearing the news.
"Holy crap! It's really happening! When I read the comics, I already thought it was insanely cool. I can't imagine how awesome it'll be in theaters!"
"Oh my God, take my money! When is this movie coming out?"
"I think this will break the all-time box office record—unless it clashes with Avengers."
"I can't wait to see this movie!"
As fans eagerly anticipated it, Ethan and his team finalized the script and casting.
Since all the characters were played by actors from previous movies, there were no objections to the returning cast.
But just as Ethan was about to sign contracts with the actors, an unexpected issue arose for Norton's Eye.
"Someone wants a pay raise?" Ethan sat in his office, listening to Yuffie's report. "Who?"
"It's Wellington, the actor playing Reese. He wants a 30% increase in salary."
"Thirty percent... that's $8.3 million." Ethan's mental math was sharp; he instantly calculated the actor's new asking price.
Ethan had discovered Wellington, just like he had Robbo Sari. Before playing Reese, Wellington had been an unknown actor. But after landing the role, his value skyrocketed, turning him into one of Hollywood's hottest leading men.
But Ethan hadn't expected the guy to demand a pay raise. Clearly, now that he was famous, he had developed a greater appetite for money.
After thinking for a moment, Ethan said, "Have the producer negotiate with him. Ten percent—that's my bottom line."
"Understood." Yuffie turned to leave.
However, after the secretary disappeared, Tang De picked up his phone and dialed the number again, saying, "Send me those photos of Wellington. Maybe they will be useful later."
.....
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