DC Heroes in Marvel

A short while later, the premiere concluded.

Various media outlets gave Wonder Woman high praise, driven partly by the financial incentives at play. Even critics who didn't appreciate the movie found polite things to say.

In all seriousness, while Wonder Woman was a solid movie, it couldn't quite compare to Batman, Superman, or Cyborg. 

The film's subject matter limited its impact, and Diana's overwhelming strength as the heroine overshadowed much of the plot.

Aside from the special effects and Diana's stunning appearance, the story felt predictable—almost cliché.

The special effects and the heroine's stunning appearance, with her long legs and undeniable charisma, provided the key elements for a commercial movie's success. 

As long as the plot was reasonable, audiences wouldn't have much to complain about. This became evident from the box office results on the second day.

The domestic box office for the first day reached 40 million.

Even industry veterans like Jim and others understood that the subject matter of Wonder Woman inherently limited its performance compared to Anton's previous films like Batman and Cyborg.

 Still, based on current trends, the movie could be considered a success.

Unquestionably, Wonder Woman dominated the first day's box office with 40 million, and media outlets projected that the domestic total could exceed 450 million, with the global box office likely surpassing 800 million.

Jim was overjoyed.

He never expected Wonder Woman to match the success of Batman. However, the film's current performance was already enough to elevate both DC and Anton's reputation further.

In just over a year, Anton had released three blockbuster films, all with impressive box office results. He was now considered Hollywood's most popular director—unquestionably at the top of his field.

The newfound fame brought with it some unexpected challenges. Within days, Anton was bombarded with calls from actresses, chance encounters, and more than a few bold attempts at romantic pursuits. 

For the first time, Anton experienced the downside of being too popular.

To escape the chaos, Anton released a statement announcing that he planned to take a break from filmmaking for the foreseeable future. People accepted the news with understanding.

After all, Anton came from a wealthy family and had interests outside of Hollywood, including managing DC and The Daily Bugle. 

Additionally, the newly rising Wayne Enterprises had strong ties to the Jameson family, Anton's own powerful lineage.

Still, the announcement didn't stop actresses and socialites from attempting to woo him. Even if Anton stepped away from directing, he remained a highly eligible bachelor—only slightly less prominent than Tony Stark himself. 

After all, Tony Stark was Iron Man, the chairman of a global corporation.

Anton joked about his "troublesome" situation, feeling "forced" into a few days of indulgence and relaxation.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman continued to grow in popularity. In just a few days, the fan base surpassed 20 million, with projections suggesting it would reach 30 million within a week—hitting the target Anton needed for his goals.

Anton felt a mix of "pain" and satisfaction.

To his surprise, after a conversation with his father, John, he learned that the Fantastic Four storyline wasn't progressing as quickly as expected. 

This meant it would be some time before their plotline unfolded, contrary to Anton's original predictions.

However, during his supposed rest days, a peculiar news report caught Anton's attention.

In New Mexico, near a small town called Puente Antiguo, a strange event had occurred during a thunderstorm. 

After the storm passed, locals discovered a massive crater several meters in diameter in the middle of an empty wasteland by the highway.

At the center of the crater was a hammer.

A passing driver tried to remove the hammer but found it immovable. The news quickly spread among the locals, who began calling it a miracle.

The report even included a photograph of the hammer—one Anton instantly recognized.

"Thor?" Anton muttered, narrowing his eyes.

The appearance of Thor signified that only a few months remained before the Battle of New York.

"It seems my vacation is coming to an end," Anton sighed.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

S.H.I.E.L.D. had also received reports about the incident. A discovery of this nature—a mysterious artifact tied to Norse mythology—immediately caught their attention.

Agent Coulson was assigned to investigate and arrived in Puente Antiguo shortly after. Standing at the edge of the crater, he gazed down at the immovable hammer.

Seeing the hammer that no one could lift, along with the mysterious runes etched around it, Coulson's expression turned strange.

This scene… it seemed familiar somehow.

Coulson thought for a moment before his eyes widened in realization, his face betraying a look of horror.

Wonder Woman!

Those runes—he had seen similar ones in the Wonder Woman movie! They resembled the ancient text inscribed in the cave on the Amazons' Paradise Island. 

It was the same cave where Diana retrieved the so-called "god-killing" weapon—the divine sword left behind by Zeus.

"Gulp!" Coulson swallowed nervously, trying to stay composed.

He distinctly remembered the details of the movie. He had watched it intently and was confident he wasn't mistaken.

 However, the memory of leaving the theater early, before Anton could say anything further, suddenly hit him.

He resisted the urge to slap himself.

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath.

Snapping back to the situation at hand, Coulson barked out an order.

"Get someone to study these runes immediately!" he commanded in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!"

"And…" Coulson hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Find a movie theater in the nearby town of Puente Antiguo. Bring a few agents with cameras. You're coming with me."

"Uh…what? We're going to a movie? With cameras?" One of the agents looked baffled, before catching sight of Coulson's intense expression. He quickly straightened up. "Uh, I mean… what movie, sir?"

"Wonder Woman!" Coulson snapped.

…

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