DC HERO AT MARVEL

The progression of the Wonder Woman movie unfolded exactly as Coulson had anticipated.

This wasn't a film with profound, philosophical undertones—it was a superhero flick designed to entertain, a popcorn movie at its core.

Yet, the content within the film and the identity of its director could not be overlooked.

As the plot advanced, viewers witnessed the reveal of the Godkiller weapon—a divine sword.

The audience had no idea that, in the original comics, this sword was called the Sword of Hephaestus, capable of cutting at the subatomic level. However, in the movie, the sword didn't demonstrate any of its legendary power.

But that was a matter for later.

The film introductory segment concluded, the background was established, and the main plot began.

A plane breached the skies over Themyscira, bringing with it an incursion by German soldiers.

The Amazons, residents of the island, struggled to fend off the intruders but ultimately succeeded.

From the mouth of the pilot, Steve Trevor, Diana learned about the outside world.

A massive war was engulfing the globe.

In just four years, 27 countries had joined the conflict, and 25 million people had perished.

Hearing the name Steve, Coulson expression grew strange again.

To anyone watching, the name was an obvious nod to Captain America.

The movie backdrop also easily brought to mind the WWII era, but the movie was set during WWI.

Additionally, Coulson, as a die-hard fan of Captain America, knew Steve Rogers' history inside and out.

Rogers had certainly never been to a place like Themyscira.

It was clear this was a fabricated plot by Anton.

"…No reference value!"

Coulson calmed down, frowning slightly.

He began to think that this movie might not have any deeper meaning and was simply a product of Anton personal interests.

The movie progressed exactly as Coulson expected.

The people of Themyscira believed the war was caused by Ares. Diana, determined to defeat Ares, took the Godkiller weapon and left Themyscira with Steve Trevor to confront Ares and end the war.

Along the way, they found reliable allies and gradually uncovered Ares' human form.

A German general, Ludendorff.

However, after Ludendorff was killed, the war didn't end. Diana discovered that Sir Patrick, who had been helping them all along, was the true Ares.

The Godkiller weapon, the divine sword, was easily destroyed by Ares.

Ares revealed that the sword was never the true Godkiller—Diana herself was.

As the daughter of Zeus and Amazonian queen Hippolyta, Diana carried the blood of the Old Gods, making her a god in her own right.

Only a god could kill another god.

A climactic battle ensued.

Ultimately, the male lead Steve sacrificed himself by flying a plane to his death. Diana, naturally, killed Ares and ended WWI.

The plot was straightforward.

Watching Steve death by plane, Coulson couldn't shake the feeling that this was another nod to Captain America.

Being well-acquainted with Steve Rogers' story, and even having interacted with him, Coulson felt a clear disconnect between the reality he knew and the events depicted in the film. This only strengthened his belief that the movie lacked real-world reference value.

Of course, Coulson opinion didn't represent that of the audience as a whole.

The viewers around him seemed thoroughly engrossed.

The Wonder Woman movie stood apart from Batman and Cyborg.

Batman focused on depth, Cyborg on technology.

Wonder Woman relied on its rich mythological backstory and stunning visual effects.

It was undeniably spectacular.

When the movie ended, the general audience applauded enthusiastically, giving it a warm reception.

Tony Stark, seated in the crowd, remained expressionless.

He acknowledged that the film was well above the standard line—a work destined for success.

However, it didn't deliver the kind of emotional resonance that Batman had, the technological inspiration of Cyborg, or the extraterrestrial intrigue of Superman.

Gods, Zeus, and the King of the Gods—they felt too far removed from real life to leave a lasting impression.

Tony never believed in myths.

Unless a supposed King of the Gods or the son of a god appeared in front of him, it was all fiction to him.

From this perspective, Tony thought the movie had no real appeal beyond Diana impressive curves and long legs.

When the movie ended, Tony and Coulson left early, not waiting for the creators to speak again.

Anton noticed but didn't care.

Judging by the reactions of those around him, he was confident the movie would achieve the impact he desired.

As of now, Wonder Woman already had 10 million fan points thanks to the boost from The Flash TV series. The remaining 20 million points, he estimated, would take about a week to accumulate.

"Once I unlock the Wonder Woman template, I'll gain another powerful ally!"

Anton stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Analyzing the situation, he had already unlocked three DC heroes—Batman, Cyborg, and Green Arrow.

Among them, excluding Batman overpowered and entirely unscientific armor, the strongest in terms of raw power was undoubtedly Wonder Woman.

Diana Prince, as a true god with divine blood and the power of the Old Gods, stood as an unparalleled force.

With this addition, the Justice League would consist of Batman, Cyborg, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Venom, Spider-Man, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Daredevil, and Revenant—an impressive lineup of superheroes.

In addition, there were others hidden in the shadows, such as the Hulk, Dr. Connors (the Lizard), and Master Splinter, all based in their underground lab.

The roster was terrifying.

Not to mention, the Justice League also had a space-based war fortress as their headquarters.

This war fortress was connected to another planet—Cybertron, the home of the Transformers.

In an emergency, the Transformers could teleport via the fortress' mind transfer system to provide instant reinforcements.

By this count, Anton almost felt invincible.

Of course, that was an illusion.

Earth hid many secrets. Among the most notable was the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme silently watching and guiding the flow of past and future events.

Though the Ancient One had yet to appear, Anton knew he couldn't escape her attention as a major variable in this world.

Batman identity might be hidden from others, but not from someone like the Ancient One, who could observe the timeline.

Then there was Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, wielder of the Nova Force.

She wouldn't tolerate any single faction dominating Earth.

As Fury strongest card, Anton doubted Batman faction and Captain Marvel faction could maintain entirely friendly relations.

"Anton, it time for us to go. Stop spacing out!"

Jim voice brought Anton back to the present.

He stepped onto the stage, smiling at the audience.

Moments later, the premiere concluded.

Media platforms, carefully managed in advance, gave Wonder Woman high scores.

Even critics who didn't love the film praised it lightly for a handsome fee.

In truth, Wonder Woman was a solid movie but fell short of Batman and even Cyborg in some aspects.

The genre was limiting, and the strong female lead vibe was overwhelming.

Beyond its impressive visuals and the protagonist striking features, the movie felt somewhat formulaic.

Still, its strong visual effects and the lead appeal were enough for commercial success.

As long as the plot was passable, no one had reason to complain.

This was reflected in the box office results the following day.

A domestic opening day gross of $40 million.

Everyone, including Jim, knew the film couldn't surpass Batman or Cyborg due to its genre limitations. Yet, it was undoubtedly a major hit.

Unsurprisingly, the $40 million opening day made it the top-grossing film of the day.

Media outlets projected a domestic total of over $450 million and a global gross exceeding $800 million.

Jim was thrilled.

He hadn't expected Wonder Woman to match Batman success.

Even so, the current results were more than enough to elevate DC and Anton reputation further.

In just over a year, three movies had all been box office hits.

Anton had become the most sought-after director in Hollywood, bar none.

Within days, countless actresses began seeking him out, calling him, orchestrating "chance" encounters, and even offering themselves as romantic partners.

For the first time, Anton felt the annoyance of being too popular.

Left with no choice, Anton announced he was taking a break and wouldn't consider new movie projects for the time being.

Everyone expressed their understanding.

Before becoming a filmmaker, Anton had already been a wealthy heir. Losing interest after achieving success was entirely normal, especially since he was also managing DC Enterprises and The Daily Bugle.

It was worth noting that the recently rising Wayne Enterprises was also closely tied to the Jameson family behind Anton.

But none of this stopped actresses and socialites from flocking to him like moths to a flame.

Even if Anton didn't make movies, he was still the quintessential eligible bachelor. His current level of wealth and social status was second only to Tony Stark—after all, Tony was publicly known as Iron Man and the head of a major corporation.

Anton found himself "overwhelmed" and "forced" into a few days of lavish indulgence.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman fan count had rapidly surpassed 20 million. Within about a week, it was expected to hit 30 million, achieving Anton goal for the template exchange.

Anton felt both "pain" and pleasure.

What surprised him was learning from his father, John, that the Fantastic Four space mission had no immediate plans for a return.

This meant the Fantastic Four storyline was still a ways off, not as imminent as Anton had initially thought.

However, during his break, a bizarre piece of news on TV caught his attention.

In New Mexico, near the small town of Puente Antiguo, something extraordinary had occurred.

During a thunderstorm, this remote town near the U.S. border became the site of a supposed miracle.

On the roadside, in the middle of what had been an endless stretch of barren land, a circular crater several meters in diameter appeared after the storm subsided.

In the crater was a hammer.

A passing driver discovered the hammer but found it impossible to lift. After multiple failed attempts, the driver shared the story with friends, and the news spread like wildfire.

People began to regard it as a divine sign.

The news report even included a picture, matching exactly the image Anton remembered.

"Thor?"

Anton narrowed his eyes.

Thor appearance meant that the Battle of New York in The Avengers was only a few months away.

"Looks like my vacation is going to be cut short!"

Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. had also received the news in advance.

Such a "paranormal" event would naturally draw their attention.

After receiving his orders, Coulson quickly made his way to Puente Antiguo and approached the crater.

Seeing the hammer embedded in the ground, surrounded by mysterious runes, his expression grew strange.

This scene… it felt oddly familiar!

Coulson thought for a moment, then widened his eyes in shock.

Wonder Woman!

The runes—or rather, the ancient runes—looked strikingly similar to what appeared in the Wonder Woman movie!

Specifically, it was shown on Themyscira, where Diana retrieved the so-called Godkiller weapon, the sword left behind by Zeus. The cave walls where the sword was kept were engraved with similar ancient writings.

"Gulp."

Coulson swallowed hard. He had watched the movie closely and was certain he wasn't mistaken.

As he thought about how he had left the Wonder Woman premiere early, before Anton could speak, he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and give himself a couple of slaps.

"Someone get over here!"

He barked an order.

"Yes, sir!"

"Get a team to analyze these inscriptions… and book out the local movie theater. Bring a few people with cameras and come with me."

"What? We're going to the movies? With cameras… are we… pirating the film?"

The agent froze but quickly straightened up upon seeing Coulson stern expression. "Uh, I mean, what movie, sir?"

"Wonder Woman!"

The agent nodded, albeit confused, and hurried off to carry out the instructions.

Coulson, meanwhile, stared at the hammer and the runes around it, his mind racing with connections between this "divine" hammer and the mysteries hinted at in Anton film.