The black Batmobile charged forward like a prehistoric beast, unstoppable. Its dark body and rough design lines made it look incredibly cool. Then the scene shifted— a black figure stood alone atop a tall building, gazing down upon the city he loved and swore to protect. Finally, accompanied by countless bats leaping into the night, he spread his cape and soared through the pitch-black sky.
"Looks… looks pretty good,"
Sitting in front of his computer, Marshall finished watching the just-released trailer for Batman: Begins on an instant share site and muttered to himself, "Way better than Batman & Robin."
Marshall was a textbook Batman fan. He was a huge admirer of Bruce Wayne. Although the trailer was less than two minutes long, it gave him a far better impression than that dreadful Batman & Robin, which had basically been filmed like an indoor costume show.
Joel Schumacher's two Batman films, especially Batman & Robin, were Marshall's least favorite Batman works even when including all the comics, animations, and TV series.
After watching the trailer, he naturally had a thought perhaps Duke Rosenberg really could revive this franchise on the big screen?
Wasn't there a Batman test screening next week?
Suddenly, Marshall remembered a piece of information he got from a friend who was also a Batman fan. Without hesitation, he picked up the phone and started dialing, hoping to secure a few tickets for the test screening.
With one week to go until the film's test screening, Duke completed all the post-production work on Batman: Begins. After nearly three months of effort, the new Batman series was about to set off.
Aside from coordinating with Warner Bros.' promotional team and arranging the test screenings, Duke also gathered the cast and crew to start attending various events, making a high-profile effort to build momentum for Batman:Begins' release.
Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, and Christian Bale appeared at events frequently, constantly showing up in public. And when facing the media and reporters, they naturally talked about Batman:Begins.
In an exclusive interview with Premiere, Christian Bale even revealed two comparison photos of himself one gaunt from shooting The Machinist and the other muscular during the filming of Batman: Begins exposing to the media his insane workout and bulking-up plan, as well as how he endured hellish training.
Liam Neeson also spoke about how magical and wonderful it was to work with Duke for the second time, calling it an extremely enjoyable experience.
Anne Hathaway used the typical actress approach, constantly showing off her romance with her Italian boyfriend, and even publicly took on a position on her boyfriend's foundation board of directors drawing plenty of public attention.
For a cultural symbol as enduring as Batman, there was no need for outrageous publicity. Duke only participated in routine promotional events. While focusing on online promotion, he also gave timely interviews to the press.
"How does one change the world?"
That's what Duke said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "Compared to comic heroes like Superman and Spider-Man, Batman is relatively ordinary. He wasn't born alien like Superman, nor did he mutate genetically like Spider-Man to become a superweapon. He's a real human being, without any exceptional gifts—what he needs is solid training."
"He wasn't born Batman, nor did he suddenly become Batman. Becoming Batman was a long journey. Batman: Begins tells the story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman, why he became Batman, and how he came to psychologically accept the identity of Batman."
This, in fact, was Batman's greatest distinction. Unlike other heroes who gained powers after some twist of fate, he didn't become a hero passively he chose to become the embodiment of fear.
Amid the busy promotion of Batman: Begins, Duke also visited Marvel Studios in Burbank. After years of preparation, the company had drawn up a detailed plan for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first step in the entire plan was particularly crucial. If the opening film, Iron Man, ran into trouble, it would undoubtedly impact the whole franchise.
Therefore, Marvel Studios and even Marvel Comics as a whole strongly invited Duke to direct Iron Man. As Marvel's largest shareholder, the success or failure of the series directly affected Duke's personal interests. After some thought, he had already decided last year to take on the role of director for Iron Man.
This was a superhero film completely different in tone from Batman. Whether it was the overall style of Marvel's heroes or Tony Stark's personality in the comics, a realistic approach would not fit. A realistic, sarcastic Iron Man was simply unimaginable.
If heroes like Captain America or others were filmed with a realistic approach, it might not be too problematic. But Tony Stark's cheerful and cheeky personality clashed violently with a realistic style.
No film is made however the director wants—especially not Iron Man, which had a $150 million production budget and served as the launchpad for the entire Marvel series.
Let's not forget it wasn't an original film. Although significant adaptation was necessary, it couldn't completely depart from the comics.
Moreover, a film close to a family-friendly tone had a better shot at commercial success. The market size of PG-13 and PG-17 films simply wasn't on the same scale.
Of course, Batman: Begins has not yet been released. Duke has just come to Marvel merely to discuss some preliminary preparations.
"Robert Downey Jr.?"
Hearing Duke's proposed candidate for Tony Stark, producer Kevin Feige showed some doubt on his face. "He's not really suitable, is he?"
Although Hollywood rumors said that Robert Downey Jr. had kicked his drug habit and was ready to turn over a new leaf, hiring such an actor undeniably came with many uncertainties.
Having been in Hollywood for some time, Kevin Feige was well aware that the seemingly glamorous and upright actors often had decadent private lives that only those close to them truly knew. Robert Downey Jr. was going around claiming to be fighting his drug addiction, but whether he was still using or not, no one could say for sure.
Duke understood that Kevin Feige was concerned about this. After thinking for a bit, he said, "Kevin, he's just one of the candidates. Even if he gets the part, we can set a lot of terms to restrict him."
The current Robert Downey Jr. was no longer in his prime like in the early nineties. His star had long fallen. If it weren't for the Downey family's legacy and the connections he'd made in the industry, calling him a third-tier actor would be generous. Big productions barely considered him, and he had no leverage when negotiating with producers especially when facing a director of Duke's caliber.
"If he can pass the audition…"
Robert Downey Jr. was the top candidate but not the only one. If he was still heavily addicted to drugs, Duke would absolutely not use him. "We can have him sign a restrictive contract. Before the film starts shooting, we only pay him a quarter or even less of his total salary. The rest would be paid after the film is taken off the screens. If he uses drugs and breaches the contract during that time…"
At this point, Duke shrugged.
"That's actually a good idea." Kevin Feige nodded.
As long as Robert Downey Jr. could pass the audition just like Christian Bale Duke would definitely have Marvel sign him to a long-term contract, and the restrictive agreement would apply to all future collaborations between Downey and Marvel, even if he became a future A-list superstar.
No one could say for sure whether this prodigal son would return to his old junkie ways in the future.
In today's world, where information spreads instantly and globally, scandals involving lead actors can have significant negative impacts on a film. On the flip side, if something happens to the lead actor that draws public attention like suddenly dying the producers and distributors can use that to the film's huge advantage with just a bit of marketing.
"What about the female lead?" Kevin Feige fully deferred to Duke. "Do you have ideal candidates in mind for Pepper Potts and Black Widow?"
"I've already found a pretty suitable actress for Black Widow."
Duke thought for a moment, then said, "As for Pepper, let's wait until we officially begin preparations and hold a large-scale audition."
The character of Pepper Potts by design couldn't be played by a very young actress. She was a mature assistant, so the most suitable choices were actresses born in the 1970s. Duke did not intend to cast the original Gwyneth Paltrow. While she had a decent temperament, she wasn't exactly stunning, and Duke had no connections with the Paltrow family.
In fact, by Duke's standards, Charlize Theron was the most suitable actress. But given the South African diamond's salary and status, she would never take on such a role.
Even though after winning the Oscar for Monster, Charlize Theron, like other Best Actress winners, fell victim to the "Oscar curse" her next two films received mediocre responses she was still firmly among the A, even super-A-list actresses. Her pay for commercial films remained as high as $20 million.
For a Marvel movie that was just getting started, such an actress was simply too extravagant. Duke and Kevin Feige were able to agree on Robert Downey Jr. not only because they could restrict him, but also because of his dramatically fallen salary.
Even if Duke wanted to invite her, Charlize Theron would never lower her pay to take part in a commercial blockbuster like this. An actor's salary wasn't just about themselves; it also affected a whole entourage of assistants, publicists, agents, and more.
After a brief discussion with Marvel, Duke returned to working on Batman:Begins. In late April, the film held three consecutive test screenings. The feedback from the screenings was mixed.