A series of explosive scenes paired with a track performed by the famous industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails sent adrenaline levels soaring to the extreme.
Sitting in front of his computer, Rune Weber was excitedly watching the trailer playing on the screen.
The trailer opened with an explosion, followed by a dazzling array of intense combat and action sequences. The six major superheroes made their appearances, charging into battle and fighting valiantly. Interspersed within were two somewhat discordant little segments: the "Captain America," who had slept for nearly 70 years, first confronted "Iron Man," and then inexplicably clashed in close combat with Thor.
In addition, Rune Weber also saw Loki hurl the unarmed "Iron Man" out of a window with a single hand, causing him to nervously sweat for Stark.
The trailer reached its climax at the end, where Rune Weber finally saw the mysterious, all-new "Hulk"!
From the footage, this version of the "Hulk" retained the fierce visage seen in prior posters and concept art. Though it flashed by quickly, he was confident this depiction would not disappoint.
If there was any regret, it was that the previously rumored other mysterious alien villain was not revealed in the trailer.
In any case, in just 123 seconds, The Avengers' first teaser was over, but the countdown to release officially began!
Although the film would not premiere until May, this small teaser prompted Marvel Studios to make a high-profile announcement: the trailer had set a series of new records.
These tangible data points also made the film itself even more noteworthy.
The first trailer for The Avengers was released Thursday night in North America via Instant Share. The video itself was packed with highlights, receiving 34 million views in a single day—a global record for a movie.
At the same time, the teaser also broke the iTunes record. Its total downloads surpassed 10 million within 24 hours, breaking the previous record of 7 million downloads in a single day set by Transformers 3.
As time slowly moved toward May, Duke was busy with post-production work, while Kevin Feige appeared frequently in the media with the cast, energetically promoting The Avengers.
"Back in 2002, Duke spoke with me in depth. He told me that the most crucial aspect of filming The Avengers was to make the plot independent, so that audiences could understand the movie even without having seen other Marvel films."
In an exclusive interview with Empire magazine, Kevin Feige tried every means to capture public attention. "Duke's genius lies in his ability to balance such a massive array of elements, ensuring that the characters' development is not weakened by visual effects."
Aside from Duke, he also discussed the film itself. "We want the film to have stunning scenes and incredible action sequences, but we don't want the dialogue or humor to be overshadowed. Tony Stark standing beside Steve Rogers, his reaction upon seeing Thor, or when he notices Nick Fury on his radar—witnessing these moments is undoubtedly thrilling."
Duke was fully aware of the power of promotion. While coming in and out of Warner Bros. Studios, he also accepted interviews from reporters.
"Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America don't seem like they could coexist. But that's exactly what intrigued me and motivated me to continue. They weren't initially allies and couldn't naturally work together, but as the crisis unfolds, I believed they would have the opportunity to fight as one."
Facing the reporters, Duke spoke with confidence, "We have the ability to recruit the best production team. From actors to technicians, they are the finest. Ultimately, this will create a film with massive set pieces, compelling storytelling, and interesting characters—the audience will thoroughly enjoy the experience."
Kevin Feige, accompanying Duke, enthusiastically added, "It's thanks to Duke that we could make The Avengers. He's exceptionally talented, serving not only as director but also crafting a highly engaging story and personally overseeing the script."
The next day, Robert Downey Jr., who came to Warner Bros. for voice work, also accepted interviews. "Besides casting, the best decision Marvel made was selecting the right director. Writing The Avengers' script required extreme precision. This is a highly complex film with eight main characters, each needing a background, screen time, and focus."
But that wasn't enough. During the following week, Duke found time to join Kevin Feige for an interview on the Instant Share platform. The video was posted in the recommended section, and in just two days, views and shares exceeded five million and half a million, respectively.
"When creating the script, I had the chance to interact with all the actors, so they understood the rationale behind their characters. As filming progressed, I would tell them, 'I have this idea, I want you to perform this way. Is there anything you particularly don't want, or anything you hope this character will have?'"
In the video, Duke spoke at length when asked about the film. "Every actor shared their opinions, and the script was built around these ideas, helping me finalize the overall style. My approach to this film is that I always know what I want. But if you tell me what you want, perhaps we can achieve both."
Duke then emphasized Marvel's contribution to the film.
"Marvel has a clear vision for the script and structure, which is fantastic for me because it provides a foundation for shooting. When filming, my only concern is achieving what they envision."
Interviews like this naturally contained both truth and embellishment. "You must design these massive sequences to fit the film's framework. I don't believe you can randomly insert scenes. I enjoy designing action sequences and doing them meticulously. The film introduces these characters and explains why they can't coexist, how difficult it is for them to get along, and how they ultimately save themselves."
In subsequent footage, Kevin Feige's interview highlighted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s role.
"In previous Marvel films, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been a hidden organization, occasionally popping up to give advice before returning to the shadows. But in this film, you'll see the world through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s perspective. Audiences will witness the vast resources and equipment they control and see how they maintain world security."
Facing the camera, Kevin Feige also stressed the challenges of production. "Handling character relationships is one of the filming challenges. There are eight important characters, four of whom have their own lead films. With so many characters and worlds in conflict, making the story and script feel realistic is a crucial task for the entire team."
Then, without hesitation, he transformed into a full-fledged "Duke booster": "Duke's script is the foundation on which this film exists. The characters, each with distinct traits, interact meaningfully. He crafted numerous impressive stunt sequences, and the superheroes' interactions resonate with audiences—they sometimes agree with each other, and sometimes clash."
After the video spread widely, Marvel Studios released the second trailer. As expected, the second trailer easily surpassed 30 million online views within twenty-four hours.
As the new summer blockbuster season approached, The Avengers sparked unparalleled discussion. Its influence far exceeded the film itself, gradually becoming a social hotspot.
Such a promotional campaign undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for the release of The Avengers, which was exactly the outcome Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. hoped to see.
However, The Avengers' dominance in publicity would inevitably impact other films scheduled for the summer, particularly Fast & Furious 5, set to release the following weekend.
For this film, David Ellison's Skydance Studios invested a massive $180 million, with marketing and promotional costs reaching $150 million. Pre-release publicity had been ongoing, yet media coverage was saturated with The Avengers news. Fans' attention focused on the superheroes' team-up, leaving the heavily promoted Fast & Furious 5 struggling to make a splash.
This left David Ellison frustrated, and he clearly realized that his film had fallen behind in the publicity race. Considering the gap between Fast & Furious 5 director Justin Lin and Duke Rosenberg, the grim situation for the film after release was almost inevitable.
Most other producers or companies would have rescheduled the release, but David Ellison was headstrong and had long planned ahead. At the most critical moment to attract attention before the release, he decided not to hesitate.
Standing by the office window, David Ellison gazed into the distance, as if trying to see something.
In the direction he was facing, near the southern slope of Beverly Hills, Vin Diesel stepped out of his house and got into a red Porsche.