Chapter 484: Martin’s Version of the Dark Trilogy

Where there are people, there are conflicts, and where there are conflicts, rules will emerge.

Martin had already reached a level where he could set the rules himself—he could protect his girls.

Hearing Martin's bold statement, Elizabeth's face heated up slightly. She instinctively pressed her legs together, lightly brushed her fingers through her hair, and whispered softly,

"Mm… Martin, I believe you can protect me."

Her sister, Mary, immediately cast a suspicious glance, shifting her gaze between Elizabeth and Martin.

Martin was an old hand at this. His expression remained completely neutral, making Mary suspect that her little sister might have a crush on him.

It was understandable. A teenage girl encountering a man like Martin—someone with a charm that far exceeded his age—was practically defenseless against it.

No, Martin might be a great guy, but he was way too much of a playboy. He was definitely not a good choice for a serious relationship.

Mary had already decided—once they got back, she would have a serious talk with Elizabeth and convince her to drop any unrealistic fantasies.

Elizabeth didn't notice her sister's change in expression. Her gaze lingered on Martin with a trace of shyness. Suddenly, a scene from a movie flashed through her mind, and in a moment of impulse, she did something even she hadn't expected.

She slipped off her shoes under the table and, taking advantage of the cover, slowly extended her small foot onto Martin's thigh, gently rubbing against it.

Martin didn't expect the little girl to be this bold. Without hesitation, he reached down and effortlessly caught the smooth little foot in his hand.

Drew and Mary were completely unaware of their little exchange and continued chatting about other gossip, such as Tom Cruise breaking up with Penélope Cruz because she refused to join Scientology or how Steven Spielberg's rumored illegitimate son, Vin Diesel, was allegedly bullying lead actor Paul Walker on the set of "Fast & Furious."

Martin's fingers moved subtly.

Elizabeth's face turned bright red.

Meanwhile, Martin casually asked, "Drew, if Vin Diesel goes too far, don't hold back. We can't let him affect the production."

"Don't worry, I already told the producer and director to keep him in check. He won't cause much trouble," Drew replied with a smile.

Neither of them even mentioned helping Paul Walker. In America, bullying happened everywhere, and no one would step in. You either endured it or fought back—there was no one to rely on but yourself.

By the end of lunch, Elizabeth felt like she was running out of breath.

"You okay?"

Mary looked at her suspiciously.

"Ah… I'm fine! Nothing's wrong!"

She glanced at Martin, who was discreetly bringing his fingers to his nose for a quick sniff. Her face turned crimson, and she quickly lowered her head, hurrying off with her sister.

Martin chuckled to himself. This little fox was getting bolder by the day. Wasn't she the one being all daring just now?

Hah… too cute.

Back at the office, Martin shifted his focus back to work.

He silently contemplated Warner Bros.' decision to reboot DC's superhero movies.

In the 1990s, DC Comics was king when it came to superhero films, while its longtime rival, Marvel, was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Back then, Superman, Batman, and The Flash were pop culture icons. If people thought of superheroes, those were the names that came to mind. Meanwhile, Marvel's Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the X-Men were barely known to the mainstream.

Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne ruled the big screen while Marvel's heroes collected dust in the shadows.

But as time passed and the 21st century began, the tides shifted.

Sydney J. Furie's "Superman IV" had effects so laughably bad they looked like they came from a middle school play, nearly killing the franchise. Meanwhile, Joel Schumacher turned Batman into a ridiculous, campy mess, burying the character in a dead-end.

These two massive failures forced Warner Bros. to put both franchises on ice.

At the same time, Marvel's characters started gaining momentum.

Starting with "Blade," followed by "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," Marvel became the dominant force in superhero movies.

Martin's portrayal of Spider-Man shattered "The Lord of the Rings" opening weekend records, pulling in a global box office of $935 million, setting a new standard for comic book films.

Seeing Marvel's rapid success, Warner Bros. was getting antsy. They needed to bring back Batman to challenge Marvel's rise.

If the Batman reboot was a hit, DC's other top hero, Superman, would inevitably follow.

In the original timeline, "Superman Returns" was released in 2006, with Warner Bros. poaching Bryan Singer from the "X-Men" franchise to direct it.

But Batman wasn't the only DC character they were testing the waters with—there was also "Catwoman."

Rumor had it that Warner Bros. was close to sealing the deal with Halle Berry for a rare Black female superhero film.

However, Martin knew this project was doomed to fail. Fortunately, the new Batman trilogy would succeed, restoring the "Dark Knight" and elevating Christopher Nolan's career.

"The Dark Trilogy," Martin mused with a smirk. This kind of film was right up his alley.

As a demon in disguise, a succubus's mind was filled with chaos and desire. Even revealing just a fraction of that would shock audiences to their core.

Not to mention, he had the original trilogy as a reference. There was no way he could mess this up.

With inspiration surging, Martin began writing.

Nighttime.

Location: The dark streets of Gotham City.

Event: A young Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents being gunned down before his eyes—a tragic event that will change his life forever.

…

Burbank, Warner Bros. Headquarters.

"Has Halle Berry responded yet?" Alan Horn asked.

"Yes, sir. She has accepted the role of Catwoman," his assistant replied.

"What about Martin?"

"Mr. Myers has already started writing. He says he'll finish within two weeks."

The assistant hesitated before asking, "Should we remind him that this Batman project is extremely important? Won't two weeks be too rushed?"

"No need," Alan Horn shook his head. "Don't interfere with a genius at work. Martin writes quickly and delivers quality scripts. We can trust him."

"Understood."

"Since Halle Berry is on board, we can move forward with 'Catwoman.' I just hope this decision was the right one."

Alan Horn had his doubts about making Catwoman Black, but with Batman as the main focus, he felt reassured.

After all, Martin's scripts had never failed before. Hopefully, this time wouldn't be an exception.