Chapter 70 The Idea of Forming the Justice League

In the following two weeks, Anton successfully wrapped up filming for Cyborg.

With production complete, the movie officially entered post-production.

Thanks to Beck groundbreaking technology, much of the special effects work had already been initiated, leaving only minor details to be finalized in the next two weeks. Other post-production tasks—such as music composition, subtitles, and editing—were well-covered by the top industry professionals Anton had hired.

Unlike his hands-on involvement in the post-production of Batman where he relied on his familiarity with the original film, Anton stepped back this time.

"This time, I'm just the director," he mused. "And what do directors know about movies? They're just glorified tools shouting 'Action!' and 'Cut!'"

After the intense production schedule, Anton returned to New York and gave himself a short break.

During this time, Stark Industries stock plummeted by $56.50 per share, with its valuation fluctuating wildly like a roller coaster.

Following Anton instructions, Betty bought massive amounts of the heavily sold-off stock at its lowest point.

Though the situation seemed grim, Anton remained unbothered.

He knew that once Tony Stark emerged as Iron Man and cemented his place in the public heart, Stark Industries valuation would naturally recover—and likely exceed its previous heights.

For Anton, this wasn't a gamble, but an opportunistic move to take advantage of a market downturn.

"This is just a little bonus," he thought. "Even if the stock rebounds, it still leagues away from the wealth of the Wayne family."

Anton knew that unless he could grow DC Films into the Marvel Universe equivalent of Disney, his financial exploits would remain comparatively small.

During his downtime, Anton thoughts turned to a more pressing matter.

Tony Stark return two weeks ago signaled that this world was now on its predetermined course. Danger was approaching, step by step.

The Battle of New York loomed on the horizon, a pivotal event he estimated to be six months to a year away.

In other words, the tutorial phase was over.

It was time to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

Anton had no illusions about being able to prevent the Battle of New York altogether.

Thanos was a galactic force beyond his reach, and Loki was merely a pawn in his game.

Given his current position, Anton had no way of influencing Thanos, stopping the Chitauri invasion, or seizing the Tesseract, which was firmly under S.H.I.E.L.D. control.

Even if Anton approached Nick Fury as Batman, he doubted he could sway the man decisions. Negotiations would likely be fruitless unless he was willing to take drastic measures—storming S.H.I.E.L.D. to steal the Tesseract, for instance.

But that would only complicate matters, altering history in unpredictable ways and making it impossible for Anton to control the narrative.

For now, he saw no need to spark internal conflict. The Hydra issue would eventually surface, and that would be the perfect time for him to assert control.

Until then, preparation was key.

Anton strategy was clear: anticipate the worst-case scenario and prepare accordingly.

The plan was to summon more DC heroes over time, integrating them into Earth existing pool of superheroes. With a combined force, they could decisively crush any threats.

It was a feasible and realistic goal.

Ironically, Anton current mindset mirrored that of Nick Fury in the 1990s, after experiencing the Kree invasion: the need to form a superhero team to combat external threats.

But this time, the name of the team needed to change.

"It time to intercept Fury plan," Anton thought with a smirk.

"Avengers is a terrible name. It sounds vengeful and foreboding—no wonder Tony fate ended the way it did," he mused.

After a moment of thought, he rubbed his chin and muttered, "Justice League sounds much better."

The idea of forming the Justice League in the Marvel Universe sent a thrill through him.

The road ahead was full of challenges, but Anton couldn't help feeling a sense of excitement.

The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: he wasn't just going to witness history—he was going to rewrite it.

Anton TV displayed news of a regional conflict.

Images of destruction flashed across the screen, and on the weapons and equipment used in the fighting, the unmistakable Stark Industries logo was clearly visible.

"Gulmira…"

Anton muttered as he gazed at the footage, his mind churning.

The attack on Gulmira signaled that the birth of Iron Man was imminent.

As he pieced together his thoughts, a new plan emerged with clarity.

Within the Daily Bugle, Batman and Venom were already established as founding members of his planned Justice League.

Once Cyborg hit theaters, Anton could summon the DC hero Cyborg to join as a co-founder of the League.

He then turned his attention to the Marvel heroes. So far, he'd encountered Daredevil and Spider-Man, bringing the team to five members.

But the Marvel Universe had more to offer: Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America were on the horizon.

There were also S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives like Black Widow and Hawkeye, as well as Colonel James Rhodes—future War Machine.

From these candidates, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor stood out as prime recruits for the Justice League.

Captain America was a potential addition, depending on whether he had been thawed from the ice. Given Steve Rogers independent spirit, convincing him would be feasible, as S.H.I.E.L.D. could unearth him but not control his ideals.

Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Rhodes were more complicated.

Anton suspected that neither S.H.I.E.L.D. nor the military would easily endorse an independent organization like the Justice League.

However, one thing was clear: even if these three didn't join, they wouldn't sit idly by during an alien invasion of Earth.

In the worst-case scenario, the Battle of New York would proceed as originally planned.

But this time, the invading Chitauri would face an Earth united by Batman, Venom, Cyborg, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and War Machine—a lineup of 11 superheroes, each a powerhouse.

This formidable team would be more than enough to dismantle the Chitauri forces and thwart Thanos plans.

The thought brought a smile to Anton face.

Venom was already secured, with Eddie Brock loyally working under him. Recruiting him required no effort at all.

That left Spider-Man as Anton next target.

Midtown High School

Peter Parker had just finished his classes and was walking out of the school with Gwen Stacy.

A group of their classmates watched from a distance, green with envy but too intimidated to approach.

Since gaining his powers, Peter had undergone a significant transformation.

His newfound confidence exuded a unique charm, and coupled with his academic brilliance, he'd formed a close bond with Gwen Stacy, Midtown High undisputed queen.

All that remained was for him to confess his feelings.

"Peter, do you have time to come over for dinner this weekend?"

Gwen suddenly asked, her voice tinged with shyness yet brimming with boldness.

She glanced at Peter, her cheeks flushed. "My dad wants to meet you."

"What? Your dad? George Stacy—the NYPD captain?"

Peter eyes widened, and he took a sharp breath.

"Why do you look so scared?" Gwen teased, tilting her head. "You're not a criminal, are you?"

"No, no, I'll definitely come," Peter stammered. There was no way he could refuse Gwen invitation.

As he watched Gwen walk away, Peter sighed, dreading the idea of dining at Captain Stacy home.

"It probably going to feel like being interrogated at the NYPD," he muttered.

Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of a car pulling up snapped him back to reality.

A sleek sports car came to a stop in front of him.

Peter froze, puzzled, as the car window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.

"You're…"

Peter photographic memory quickly pieced it together, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"You're that guy from The Daily Bugle! Wait—Anton Jameson! The director of Batman!"