"Iron Man signs on for The Avengers, the Superheroes finally unite!"
Though Duke was currently in a resting phase, Marvel Studios' promotional work hadn't let up. After finalizing the actor contract with Robert Downey Jr., they immediately released related news to the public, informing all Marvel fans and even general moviegoers across North America that The Avengers was coming soon.
Marvel Comics' Chief Executive Officer Avi Arad also accepted an exclusive interview with The New York Times, stating, "The Avengers will, for the first time, assemble all of Marvel Comics' classic superhero characters, including Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk, among others. They will join forces to battle an unprecedentedly powerful enemy."
Who exactly this powerful enemy character would be became a major focus of attention. Previously, Marvel had deliberately circulated a rumor suggesting that "the Hulk" might become the common enemy of the heroes. But from this latest statement, since the Hulk was listed among the heroes, it meant he might not be playing the "villain" role after all.
In this era, any film that wants to attract enough viewers must create buzz through publicity.
Although Duke was unquestionably going to be the film's director, Marvel Studios and Duke had never publicly confirmed this information. Hence, the director like the cast also became a key focus of Marvel's promotional strategy.
"Marvel Studios' blockbuster The Avengers releases new information: Firefly director Joss Whedon is in talks with Marvel and is expected to take over directing the film."
In March, one Avengers-related update after another kept being thrown out to the public.
"It's said that the two sides have already initiated formal contact, and Joss Whedon is very likely to become the director. However, his only feature film Firefly performed poorly at the box office and received lackluster responses, which might be an obstacle in the signing process."
Not long after the news broke that Joss Whedon was Marvel Studios' intended candidate, another rumor began circulating in the media and online, claiming that Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau might also take over as the director of The Avengers.
Under Marvel Studios' coordination, Jon Favreau quickly stepped forward to refute the rumors.
"Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America were all paving the way for The Avengers. Each director arranged some foreshadowing or Easter eggs in their own films. The Avengers will be extremely difficult to direct, because 'Iron Man' is a high-tech-equipped superhero, while 'Thor' is a superhero with supernatural powers. Blending these two totally unrelated elements without damaging their already-established styles will be a real headache. I don't think I'm capable of that."
Though Thor wouldn't be released until the summer season, the previous four films had already made Marvel Studios' superhero movies highly noticeable. It wasn't just Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics using various methods to hype things up many people in Hollywood were also actively associating themselves with The Avengers to gain more attention.
The director of Clash of the Titans, Louis Leterrier, during his weekend promotion of a new film, publicly revealed that he was one of the director candidates for Marvel's The Avengers.
Louis Leterrier spoke proudly to reporters,
"I'm on their shortlist, and near the top I'm very sure of that. I don't know who the other candidates are. But I have a great relationship with Marvel Studios. I can speak frankly to them and to the other candidates: I'm the most suitable person for the job. I love working with Marvel. I love them. They're amazing."
This also attracted quite a bit of attention, though it was obvious the director was just trying to ride the wave. After all, even if Duke lost his mind, he wouldn't pick a director who could turn a Greek mythology film into a road movie to helm The Avengers.
Besides the director, many actors also tried to join in on the hype. Quite a few people used this opportunity for self-promotion.
Even minor actors like Eva Longoria jumped out and confidently claimed that they were among the candidate actors for The Avengers.
As time passed, this massive promotional campaign grew hotter and hotter, frequently appearing on the front pages of film and entertainment media.
Robert Downey Jr., the first to officially sign with Marvel Studios, also began fulfilling his publicity duties. When asked by a reporter about the film's director, he said,
"They need someone who's familiar with all the different character series and can bring them together. Marvel Studios' CEO Kevin Feige is just such an all-seeing figure. He's familiar with every comic book and has participated in the production of every film, especially Thor and Captain America, where he was heavily involved. He'll definitely pick the most suitable director for The Avengers. As for who that will be, I don't know. I just know and love 'Iron Man.'"
As April approached, news about The Avengers flooded every corner of the media.
"Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo has reached an agreement with Marvel Studios regarding pay and schedule and has officially signed on for The Avengers."
"Scarlett Johansson, upon walking out of ICM headquarters, clearly stated that she had already signed the actor contract for The Avengers and would continue playing Black Widow Natasha Romanoff."
"Captain America actor Chris Evans has completed a contract extension with Marvel Studios and will serve as the brain and commander of The Avengers!"
As the negotiations between Marvel Studios and the actors gradually concluded, the main cast had basically all signed their contracts. News about The Avengers even overshadowed those films about to be released in the upcoming North American summer season.
In late April, a website leaked two concept art images for The Avengers. The images depicted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, and in one corner, there was a clearly visible creator's signature—Duke Rosenberg!
"Our special correspondent staked out the Malibu beachfront villa district for a whole week and found these two concept drawings in the trash outside Duke's estate. Although it's just two sheets of concept art, the signature of Duke Rosenberg in the corner says a lot. This top-tier Hollywood commercial director may well be the true choice to direct The Avengers!"
This news spread like a virus online and among fans, with nearly everyone believing that Duke was the most suitable director for The Avengers.
However, Duke and Marvel Studios did not immediately respond, instead allowing this carefully orchestrated promotional campaign to fully ferment.
In fact, throughout April, Duke and Marvel Studios had been in continuous communication. The film could enter official pre-production at any moment.
Even before the Oscars, Marvel Comics had already handed Duke a script. But unlike before, this script only had a framework and outline. The characters' motivations and actions in the film all needed to be gradually filled in by Duke himself. And if necessary, he could even revise Marvel's script outline.
Over the course of more than three months, Duke basically completed the script. After the six main actors signed on, he gathered them together multiple times to understand their thoughts on their respective roles and make appropriate adjustments. Scarlett Johansson, after reading it, commented that the script felt a bit messy because many storylines were tangled together.
Duke brought in Anna Prinz and had her lead a team to break down the script, producing character scripts for the six roles.
This script is based on the Marvel comic of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The first Avengers comic was published in September 1963, and the original lineup included Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Captain America was rescued from Antarctic ice and joined in issue #4.
As producer Kevin Feige put it, The Avengers is more like a disaster movie. The theme is extremely simple: Earth suffers an unprecedented catastrophic attack, S.H.I.E.L.D. is caught off guard by a sudden evil force, and individual superheroes are unable to cope. Thus, they come together to form the "Avengers," a team of superheroes who fight side by side to protect Earth.
The story of the Avengers saving the world may be clichéd, but it's the kind that the general public loves, and Duke wasn't going to make unnecessary changes in that regard.
From a plot perspective, such a setup is understandable, but in reality, the true reason lies in commercial considerations.
Bringing together multiple superheroes under Marvel Comics not only increases the exposure of first-tier heroes but also helps boost the popularity of more secondary heroes. As long as the film's quality and marketing are guaranteed, it's hard not to capture eyeballs and rake in money.
To attract both new and longtime fans to the theater, the six heroes in The Avengers will all be played by their original actors. Due to Duke's influence, The Incredible Hulk did not use Edward Norton, who is notoriously difficult in the industry, and instead cast Mark Ruffalo during filming. He was also straightforward in signing the actor contract for The Avengers.
The film's initial investment was $200 million. As the largest shareholder in Marvel Comics, Duke, as the director, was bound to be cautious. He adhered to the "slow work makes fine work" principle when fleshing out the script, so efficiency was naturally not high. Even now, he's still making appropriate adjustments to the script, just hoping to have a finalized version when the film is officially greenlit.
Of course, such an ensemble piece involves many different elements, and adjustments will certainly be needed during filming. Duke is not a rigid person; once the project starts, the script will continue to evolve.
On May 1st, Marvel Studios and Duke simultaneously announced to the public that Duke Rosenberg would direct The Avengers.
At the same time, the project's press conference was officially held at a hotel near the Marvel Studios headquarters in Burbank.
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