Ridley Scott had stepped away from Black Hawk Down, but being the nice guy he was, he didn't want to burn bridges with Jerry Bruckheimer. Instead, he recommended another British director, Simon West, to take his place.
Simon West had directed the action blockbuster Lara Croft: Tomb Raider last year. Like Michael Bay, he was one of Jerry Bruckheimer's "little brothers," plucked from obscurity and given a shot at the big leagues. Back in the day, Bruckheimer's Con Air had been Simon West's breakout gig, launching him into the spotlight.
Unlike the brash Michael Bay, who'd even dared to butt heads with Dunn, Simon West kept a lower profile. Since he had decent ties to the British film scene, Dunn decided to let it slide and not hold a grudge.
That said… those actors who ignored the very public feud between Dunn and Bruckheimer, jumping into Black Hawk Down anyway? They'd definitely landed on his blacklist.
Take the confirmed cast, for example: Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore… all on the naughty list now.
Australian actor Eric Bana had also been offered a role, but he smartly turned it down.
That left a pretty good impression on Dunn.
Eric Bana… maybe he'd be perfect for the Hulk!
With Dunn's foresight, a standalone Hulk movie wasn't in the cards, but as a key supporting player in The Avengers, the role could solidify Eric Bana's foothold in Hollywood.
As for Spider-Man 2… with Nina Jacobson producing and Ridley Scott directing, Dunn didn't need to micromanage. The moment news of the project broke, advertisers came knocking with enthusiasm.
Things were a far cry from when Dunn made the first Spider-Man. Back then, he'd had to hustle for support. Now? Companies were practically throwing checks at him, begging to get in on the action.
Titanic had no product placement, and the Star Wars series wouldn't dream of modern ads. But Spider-Man—a franchise with unmatched influence—was a goldmine for brands. FedEx ponied up $1.5 million, Coca-Cola dropped $5 million, Ford Motors shelled out $15 million, Motorola phones chipped in $4 million, HP computers added $6 million, Ray-Ban glasses threw in $1 million, Nike sneakers offered $4.5 million…
Marvel Studios hadn't even gone looking for sponsors, and they'd already raked in $50 million in checks!
And that was just the early talks. As the project progressed and the script solidified, more tailored product placements would come into play—possibly even close-up ad shots. Marvel's asking price? A cool $10 million per second.
All in all, Spider-Man 2 was shaping up smoothly. The film's budget was pegged at $150 million, but with $80 million in sponsorships already secured, half the financial pressure was off.
Right now, Dunn's focus was on Warner Bros.
Back in the '90s, a slew of superhero movies had bombed hard, effectively killing off comic book adaptations. But the new millennium brought Spider-Man and X-Men, breathing life back into the genre.
Marvel was flooded with offers from studios wanting to co-develop their superhero roster. With Dunn calling the shots, those deals were all shot down.
Warner Bros., though, had DC Comics under its wing—a powerhouse rival to Marvel—and that was something Dunn couldn't control. DC boasted two titans: Batman and Superman.
As a shareholder in Legendary Pictures, which partnered with Warner on co-financed projects, Dunn had some insight into their plans.
Word was, Warner was gearing up to reboot the Batman series!
For fans, that might mean a long-awaited cinematic feast. For Dunn and Marvel Studios? Not such great news.
Luckily, Dunn had planned ahead years ago.
He'd handed the distribution rights for The Wedding Crashers to Tom Rothman instead of his usual partner Bill McNick, securing the rights to five superheroes in return—including his top pick, Daredevil!
"Use Daredevil to take on Batman?" Christopher Nolan's eyes widened at Dunn's suggestion. He swallowed hard, looking baffled. "Batman's the most popular comic hero in America—Spider-Man doesn't even come close. But Daredevil… even among Marvel heroes, he's second-tier at best."
Dunn gave him a sly, half-smile. "What, you don't think you're up for it?"
Christopher Nolan shook his head. "It's not that. I just think… this could be a strategic misstep for the company. We're talking about Batman here!"
This was a seminar on the Daredevil project, and Dunn was taking it seriously.
He'd gathered a powerhouse team: Dunn Pictures President Bill McNick, Marvel Entertainment CEO Alan Vann, Chief Creative Officer Stan Lee, Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, Deputy Editor Brian Bendis, Marvel Studios President Nina Jacobson, plus Andrew O'Hare, Deacon Whistler, Grant Hill, Kevin Feige, and the Nolan brothers, among other heavy hitters.
The goal? Pool their collective brainpower to catapult Daredevil onto the A-list superhero stage!
Dunn chuckled, shaking his head, then turned to Jonathan Nolan. "You've been digging into Daredevil's comics for over six months. What's your take?"
Jonathan Nolan, tapped as the lead writer for the Daredevil adaptation, felt both the pride and the weight of the gig. He said gravely, "No offense, boss, but… Daredevil and Batman are way too similar. Honestly, Daredevil feels like a Batman knockoff! If we pit these two against each other at the box office, I'm worried…"
Andrew O'Hare, Dunn's loyal right-hand man of four years and a sharp market analyst, cut in with a firm shake of his head. "Not true! Sure, superhero flicks are hot right now, but if you re-released those '90s Batman movies today, they'd flop too. At the end of the day, it's all about content and quality."
Bill McNick chimed in, "Even so, Daredevil doesn't have the juice to compete with Batman. If two similar movies hit at the same time, the world's picking Batman every time!"
"Exactly. Their hero setups are practically identical," Joe Quesada said, summing it up like he was laying down the law. "Both are masked vigilantes who only operate at night. They're obsessed with their cities, willing to give everything for them. No crazy superpowers—just fists and grit. Oh, and the big one: neither of them kills."
Stan Lee raised an eyebrow, a spark of realization hitting him. He glanced at Dunn, who was brimming with confidence, and ventured, "Well, not entirely."
"Oh?"
The Marvel Entertainment old-timers perked up.
Stan Lee smiled faintly. "You guys forgetting who created Daredevil?"
"You did," Alan Vann said with a grin. "Oh, and Bill—Bill Everett! You two cooked him up together."
Stan Lee shook his head. "Not quite. Bill and I just built the framework. The guy who really gave Daredevil flesh and blood, who turned him into a superhero? That was someone else."
Joe Quesada's face shifted, and he blurted out, "Frank Miller!"
Stan Lee sighed, his expression a mix of emotions. "Yep, Frank Miller."
Grant Hill, less versed in Marvel lore but familiar with the name, piped up, "Frank Miller? The Sin City and 300 guy? Those were some of the hottest comics of the '90s."
"That's him!" Stan Lee said with a rueful shake of his head. "Back in… what, 1979? Frank was a rookie in the comic world, interning at Marvel. I was the one showing him the ropes. At that point, Daredevil was on life support. Me and a few other artists were ready to ditch him. But Frank stepped up. He begged for a shot at the series."
Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios' ambitious young assistant president and self-proclaimed "Marvel Know-It-All," had devoured every Marvel comic and fan work he could find. Still, this behind-the-scenes tale was news to him. Eyes wide with curiosity, he leaned in. "What happened next? Did Daredevil blow up because of Frank Miller?"
Stan Lee nodded. "You bet. We handed the series to Frank, and he showed off some serious comic chops. With his magic touch, he turned it all around!"
Alan Vann, who'd run Marvel back in the day, added with a sigh, "Frank took on huge pressure and redefined Daredevil's vibe. He went dark and gritty—his specialty. He loved Eastern martial arts, so he threw in realistic fight scenes. With those changes, Daredevil shot up in the '80s, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Captain America and Spider-Man as one of Marvel's big three!"
Dunn had heard bits of this backstory, which was why he was so gung-ho about Daredevil.
Still, learning that Daredevil once rivaled Spider-Man's clout? That was a shock.
Kevin Feige, the ultimate Marvel fanboy, couldn't wait any longer. Listening to these old-timers drag it out was torture. "So what happened after that? How'd Daredevil fade again?"