DC HERO AT MARVEL

Anton was entirely unaware of S.H.I.E.L.D. growing sense of existential dread. Even if he were, he wouldn't have cared.

The Extremis virus, while impressive for its high floor, had a low ceiling.

Even if Hawkeye and the others injected it, it would only enhance their physical capabilities, recovery speed, and offensive power slightly.

In the later stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they'd essentially be slightly more durable cannon fodder.

Sure, in Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye and Black Widow seemed to contribute significantly. But truthfully, anyone else could've completed their missions.

Their prominence in the film was simply a nod to the original Avengers lineup, giving the two a proper sendoff.

Look at Black Widow death—wasn't it glorious?

As the timeline progressed, the characters who emerged became increasingly bizarre.

Some, like Tony Stark, stuck to the path of technological advancement, striving for mechanical transcendence. Others pursued "mystical powers" that defied conventional rules—like Scarlet Witch chaos magic, Captain Marvel Binary form, or the Mind Stone on Loki scepter.

It clear that even with the Extremis virus, Hawkeye and Black Widow could only remain strong supporting characters, never achieving main character status.

Their potential didn't even come close to that of the reformed Doctor Octopus, Otto Octavius.

At least Otto was one of the rare geniuses in the Marvel Universe.

In terms of scientific prowess, among humans in the MCU, he might only fall short of Marvel golden child, Tony Stark.

Currently, Anton was fully occupied with preparations for the Wonder Woman movie.

The script, under his guidance, was quickly completed.

As a female-led film, the male lead was secondary; the key was the actress portraying Wonder Woman.

Anton had already chosen an old acquaintance.

She was the same actress who frequently collaborated with him on the Batman films, often discussing scripts without expecting anything in return.

The actress who played Rachel.

This actress long legs were on par with Gal Gadot, but her "assets" surpassed Gadot, aligning closely with Wonder Woman comic-book portrayal.

Anton had witnessed the power of these "assets" up close during intense discussions with her on set, and he was thoroughly convinced she would be the perfect Wonder Woman.

Meanwhile

While preparing for the filming of Wonder Woman, Anton began considering the long-term development strategy for DC.

Relying solely on movies to drive fan value, while effective, was proving to be a bit too tedious and time-consuming.

Each film took months to produce, which felt like a significant drain on resources and energy.

In today world, particularly in New York, it seemed like something major happened every month or two.

With Transformers having already made an appearance, who to say other unexpected crossovers wouldn't happen in the future?

Anton figured that aside from movies, there had to be other ways to boost fan value with quicker cycles and lower costs.

In short, he wanted to maximize efficiency.

After brainstorming with Jim and the rest of the team, Anton came away with a promising suggestion.

"TV series?"

Anton stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Episodic production and release… sounds intriguing."

The idea of a TV series was indeed a good one.

The format allowed for shorter production cycles and faster results.

Even if the ratings weren't stellar, it could still serve as a strong promotional tool.

In fact, the idea of producing TV series had already been floated within DC upper management during earlier discussions.

For some reason, though, those plans had fizzled out and been abandoned.

Now, with Jim bringing it up again, Anton was reminded of two iconic superhero TV shows from his previous life:

Arrow and The Flash.

Both shows were wildly popular, with fans continuing to watch them even as their quality declined.

The former, Arrow, was immediately ruled out.

Oliver Queen had already been unlocked, and there was no need to put additional effort into his character.

The focus was on The Flash—Barry Allen.

"Great, we'll produce The Flash!"

After finalizing the decision, Anton continued, "Browning, coordinate with the editorial team and get me a first draft of The Flash script as soon as possible. Use the outline I gave you earlier, but make sure to include Wonder Woman—Diana Prince—as a character. Got it?"

His idea was to start with The Flash while positioning Wonder Woman as Barry Allen ally, taking the place that Green Arrow held in the original series.

This connection would create a dynamic shared storyline between the two characters.

Of course, Wonder Woman mystique had to be preserved, given the power gap between her and The Flash, which might otherwise make the narrative difficult to justify.

The solution? Wonder Woman would become Barry mentor!

This would limit her screen time while still maintaining her gravitas.

Combined with the Wonder Woman movie that Anton was working on, the attention drawn to The Flash TV series would serve as a perfect springboard for Wonder Woman promotion, amplifying its impact significantly.

Anton then spent time with Browning, discussing how to best incorporate Wonder Woman into The Flash as a crossover character. The goal was to enhance her appeal, ensuring that audiences would fall for her instantly.

Naturally, this would attract a legion of devoted fans—especially those drawn to her striking looks and commanding presence.

Even if these fans were initially enamored with the actress, many would inevitably develop an attachment to the character as well.

A few days later, Anton ended his relatively long break and joined the set for Wonder Woman.

The production took him to an island in Italy to film scenes set on "Themyscira."

Meanwhile, Browning quickly delivered scripts for the first two episodes of The Flash.

After Anton reviewed and approved the scripts, Jim, serving as the producer, began assembling the crew and conducting casting for the series.

Another two weeks passed.

Filming on Themyscira wrapped up, and Wonder Woman lead actress made a brief appearance on The Flash set.

She filmed a short crossover scene for the end of the first episode, serving as a teaser or post-credits stinger.

Though her role was limited to just a few minutes, her revealing armor and striking legs were more than enough to grab the attention of the internet "enthusiasts."

Time flew by as production progressed.

Anton had been on set for almost two months.

During this time, the premiere episode of The Flash was released, generating moderate buzz.

From the system fan value metrics, Anton noted that while the series didn't have the same impact as a film, its cost-effectiveness was undeniable. Compared to comics or novels, a TV show garnered far more attention for its investment.

It was a worthwhile endeavor.

As The Flash gradually gained traction among its fan base and started breaking into the mainstream, Anton anticipated it would eventually yield excellent results.

Meanwhile, it was worth mentioning that during these two months, New York had been unusually calm.

For a city that had spent the last year constantly on edge, the relative peace left its citizens feeling somewhat uneasy.

However, while New York remained quiet, a major incident unfolded in Monaco.

Monaco, a small European country, is home to the Monte Carlo Circuit, one of the four most famous racetracks in the world.

The Monte Carlo Circuit, primarily made up of city streets, is the shortest F1 track and features the slowest corner in F1 as well as its iconic tunnel.

Marvel golden child, Tony Stark—Iron Man—had, for some reason, developed a sudden and intense interest in racing.

Not only did he sponsor Monaco F1 event, but he also organized a supercar race as a prelude to the main event.

During this friendly race, Tony was driving his R8 and was just about to cross the finish line when he was ambushed by a Russian assailant.

Yes, at nearly 300 kilometers per hour, Tony was attacked.

A crackling electric whip lashed out from the side of the track.

This whip, charged with immense power, easily shattered the trackside barriers. It was poised to slice through Tony R8, threatening to bisect the car in one clean strike.

But just as the whip was about to make contact, Tony R8 transformed into a towering humanoid mech over five meters tall.

With a single punch, the mech knocked the assailant off the track.

For a moment, the crowd was stunned.

Then, the grandstand erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.

Tony Stark had done it again.