As the release date approached, promotion for The Avengers had entered its final sprint stage. Not only did Warner Brothers' media outlets participate, but even Marvel Comics proactively stepped forward to hype the film.
In the latest published comic issue, Marvel made some changes to several of its popular superheroes. In the universe used by the film, Captain America had aged, Wolverine had died, and Thor had changed gender…
Although Marvel often plays fast and loose in its comics, this still attracted countless fans' attention and even surprise. After all, this was not a random universe—it was the universe adopted by the film!
In the latest episode of NBC's talk show The View, several Marvel executives appeared on the interview stage and revealed some exclusive information.
Will Moss, head of Marvel Comics' current writing team, addressed the camera: "The new Thor will not be a temporary female substitute. She is now the real, one and only Thor!"
Host Whoopi Goldberg exaggeratedly announced on the show, "Today is a big day in the Marvel Universe. Thor messed up and is no longer qualified to wield his hammer. For the first time in history, the hammer will be wielded by a female character—Thor has become a woman!"
Another host, Jenny McCarthy, explained in time, "She created herself, was saved by Thor, and came to Earth. She has followed him and made herself appear as Thor, and now she is going to replace him in the comics."
At the same time, Marvel released a photo of the new Thor with the Avengers. These promotional images immediately became a hotspot online, and the word "Avengers" directly became a trending term on Google.
Thor transformed into a mature, commanding female persona—the "Hammer Sister"!
Once the news broke, countless netizens, comic fans, and moviegoers were stirred, and the internet saw a flood of jokes and memes.
"Thor becomes the godmother," "Thor transitions for Loki," and other parodic statements emerged endlessly.
All of this was part of Marvel Comics' plan. When these messages had fermented to a certain degree, Duke specifically posted on his social media and Twitter—Female Thor? What were they thinking!
This post was widely shared by netizens, with retweets surpassing a million in a single day.
As if that wasn't enough, Duke later paired it with a striking photo of Gal Gadot as a tomboyish heroine, standing among the Avengers to replace Thor. This immediately led many netizens to imagine the female Thor fighting alongside numerous wild male heroes…
Although "Hammer Sister" may have little to do with Loki, and this new comic series may not necessarily affect the film's trajectory, combined with previous rumors that Wolverine would soon die in the comics and Captain America would age rapidly and be replaced, even more people began paying attention to Marvel's superhero series.
In the final week before The Avengers premiered, Warner Brothers and Marvel Comics jointly held a The Avengers themed art exhibition at the 1988 Gallery in Los Angeles. Duke, Robert Downey Jr., and many other actors also appeared. Under the artists' creativity, each superhero looked different, which was very interesting.
The gallery also offered The Avengers-themed cupcakes for the audience to enjoy, with chances to win valuable premiere tickets.
Both Duke and Warner Brothers were steadfastly executing this strategy, leveraging every possible angle to promote the film.
The era had already changed. Hollywood could no longer rely on a single superstar's appeal to carry a film.
Even Duke, who had the most extensive fanbase in North America, could not claim that every work of his would be automatically supported by fans.
Especially for niche films, which have little to do with personal star power, their inherent limitations predetermined that they would not be blockbusters or popular.
Of course, The Avengers was absolutely not in this category.
Such films prioritize entertainment above all. Facing the widest possible audience, the foremost consideration is to bring viewers the simplest and purest joy, and this form of entertainment is also the public's favorite.
After all, the few who rush into theaters to study philosophy or ponder the meaning of life are an extreme minority.
As a fan who always follows The Avengers news, Rowan Weber watches around seventy films a year, but the only ones that compel him to buy tickets for theaters are major commercial productions. Other types of films can be watched online, on TV, or on DVD. However, visual effects blockbusters require the theater experience.
He also obtained premiere tickets.
A black Acura departed from Hollywood Boulevard, heading east past the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which hosted the first Academy Awards. Sitting in the back seat, Duke drew his gaze from the Chinese Theatre and the sprawling Hollywood Highland shopping center passing the window, and through the front windshield, looked even farther ahead.
The famous massive Hollywood sign seemed to welcome everyone entering the arena of fame. Today, media and fans from all directions gathered at the magnificent El Capitan Theatre, not far from the sign.
The premiere of The Avengers was held there.
Exiting the car provided by the film's sponsors, Duke casually signed a few autographs and walked along the long red carpet.
Following him were Robert Downey Jr. as "Iron Man," Chris Hemsworth as "Thor," Mark Ruffalo as "Hulk," Jeremy Renner as "Hawkeye," Scarlett Johansson as "Black Widow," Tom Hiddleston as "Loki," Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, and Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige, all appearing in succession.
In addition, numerous other celebrities attended to show support.
The venue glittered with stars, fans screamed deafeningly, and the atmosphere was lively and intense.
Among them, Robert Downey Jr. was the most prominent. Driving Iron Man's car from the film—a sleek Acura—directly onto the red carpet, he drove both journalists and fans into a frenzy, delighting Honda, who had fully sponsored the premiere.
Standing before the sponsor-covered posters, Duke posed with the six superheroes, allowing photographers to snap pictures freely.
The film attracted immense attention. Over five hundred journalists from around the world gathered at the El Capitan Theatre.
It was no exaggeration to say that even before release, The Avengers had already stolen all the spotlight of the summer blockbuster season.
Global pre-sales began ten days earlier, and the resulting fan frenzy even overwhelmed theaters and ticketing websites. In North America alone, the estimated pre-sales in ten days reached over $90 million—a number beyond the total box office of ninety-five percent of Hollywood films.
Theaters also attached exceptional importance to this film.
One of North America's largest chains, AMC Theatres, launched an "Ultimate Marvel Marathon" at several of its large venues, starting from 11:30 a.m. on May 4, continuously screening the five superhero films that paved the way for this release: Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor, followed by the midnight premiere of The Avengers on May 5.
Although tickets for this event were priced as high as $40, pre-sale tickets were snapped up by fans immediately, forcing AMC to add extra showings.
The film was equally anticipated overseas. In remaining English-speaking regions, midnight show tickets sold out early, and tickets for the first three days' 3D and IMAX screenings were nearly impossible to get. To secure early viewing, many fans camped overnight with sleeping bags, prompting local media to conduct interviews and coverage.
"Hi, Steven."
As he entered the theater, Duke saw the DreamWorks head and, hearing the greeting, Spielberg quickly came over to shake his hand. "Hello, Duke."
"I heard you're preparing Lincoln?" Duke asked as they walked toward the screening hall. "I recently read a novel, seems called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter…"
"That has nothing to do with my film," Spielberg shrugged.
Even once-great leaders can be parodied in Hollywood—this is the so-called creative freedom Hollywood has built over decades.
"The film is about constitutional amendments," Spielberg said to Ryan, "You wouldn't be interested in that subject, would you?"
"Of course not," Duke replied casually. "Last time I went to Lucasfilm, Catherine mentioned it briefly."
Catherine Kennedy had originally been Spielberg's secretary.
Their conversation soon turned to the new Indiana Jones film as they walked toward the theater's front rows.
Once Duke and other principal cast and crew entered, the theater, which could seat over a thousand, gradually quieted down. Those entering afterward were fans and media reporters. Rowan Weber mixed into the crowd, finally sitting at the boundary between the fan section and the press area. Not far from him sat a Yahoo Entertainment reporter and a Los Angeles Times reporter.
"Finally, this day has come."
A man sitting next to him said to his companion, "It's been five years since Iron Man premiered. I've finally waited until the Avengers assembled."
His companion also sighed, "I was in middle school when I first heard about Marvel's Avengers plan, and now I'm about to graduate college."
Hearing them, Rowan Weber quietly exhaled. This day, he had waited far too long.
It had been a long wait, a five-year-long wait.
"This film is highly anticipated."
Another voice came from nearby—the two journalists discussing the film. "But it mixes in too many characters, especially the big three: Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow. Their personalities are so distinct that merging them together is a major challenge. If done poorly, the film could turn into a mess."
The other journalist nodded in agreement.
Unlike those two reporters, Rowan Weber was full of confidence in The Avengers. He believed the film would deliver a spectacular performance for its audience.