The commotion around the "borrowed script" seemed to gradually die down.
During interviews, Chris repeatedly emphasized that he had secured the role of Thor based on his own merits. He cherished this opportunity and was giving it his all.
In a subsequent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chris explained how he delved into Norse mythology, watched Michael Keaton's Batman for superhero qualities, discussed performance details with director Kenneth, and learned from his collaboration with Natalie...
Then, during a live radio broadcast, Chris spoke about the hardships of his physical training. To play the role of Thor, he had maintained peak physical condition for eight months, adhering to daily workouts and a healthy diet consisting of eggs, chicken, sandwiches, vegetables, brown rice, steak, and protein drinks—all to present his best self on screen...
Following that, Natalie, Anthony, Kenneth, and other key members of the cast and crew expressed their support for Chris. Anthony, in particular, didn't hold back his praise, vividly describing his first encounter with Chris in full costume. "It didn't need any acting; he walked right out of a comic book."
Finally, even Robert Downey Jr., in an interview, was asked about the issue. He generously expressed his admiration, saying, "I've seen some clips from the internal screening. Undoubtedly, he is Thor. I can't think of a better choice."
First, it was Entertainment Weekly, then the Houston Chronicle, followed by the Daily News, the New York Post, and the Chicago Sun-Times... While Chris never directly responded to the rumors about "borrowing" the script, the direction of the major media outlets began shifting quietly. Gradually, the focus of public opinion began to shift as well:
In comparison to the script, Chris's appearance and abilities were the decisive factors in him landing the role of Thor. After all, this was "Thor", a superhero movie based on a comic, not an art film testing acting skills.
However, some netizens were unwilling to compromise. They vehemently protested and scorned, and accusations continued to swirl around Chris. They believed that, regardless of the success of the audition, Chris might have indeed "borrowed" Renly's script, possibly without Renly's knowledge. This crucial question remained unanswered by Chris.
The questioning voices of these media outlets persisted, but the problem was that Renly, as the person directly involved, didn't press aggressively. In fact, he no longer granted interviews and devoted himself entirely to his work. This caused the media's hype and investigations to fizzle out, turning into a forgotten story as time passed.
However, online discussions remained heated. On Yahoo's community, netizens' debates intensified.
Some netizens appeared to accept the prevailing narrative, believing that the media had blown the issue out of proportion. Ultimately, Chris had earned the role through his own abilities, and the script was of little consequence. But another group of netizens refused to compromise, standing firm in their protests and disdain. Accusations against Chris continued to surround him, as they believed
The controversy surrounding the "borrowed script" seemed to be settling down, but it raised critical questions. Whether a script was useful or not was one matter; another was the unauthorized "borrowing" of it without the owner's consent. In real life, one couldn't simply claim that an object had little or no use and, therefore, allow others to use it without asking the owner's permission. Even if the object had little value, why not ask the owner before borrowing it? Regardless of whether it served its purpose, taking something without the owner's consent, or even surreptitiously, was inherently wrong.
Undoubtedly, those netizens who refused to compromise and demanded answers had the upper hand in this debate.
The fans of the comics had chosen to remain silent. Chris's own fans seemed to have disappeared entirely, leaving only a small group of netizens continuing to argue for the sake of arguing, standing their ground.
This heated debate swept through the internet, and the negative impact of the "borrowed script" incident continued to ferment. Many netizens remained resolute in their stance, stating that they would not enter the theaters to watch "Thor" unless Chris provided a clear response. If it turned out to be false, then they would have wrongly accused Chris. But if it were true, Chris owed Renly, and the audience, an apology.
The box office prospects for "Thor" in the summer season suddenly cast a shadow.
In fact, not only netizens but also the news media were closely watching the box office developments. It was not an exaggeration to say that this opening battle could significantly affect the entire summer box office trends for the year.
After a tumultuous period, more and more attention was focused on the box office showdown between "Fast 5" and "Thor". What was originally a lopsided matchup was now becoming increasingly unpredictable.
While the "borrowed script" had a huge impact on Chris's positive image, how big would its impact on the box office of "Thor" really be? Would the audience truly refrain from entering theaters due to the negative news surrounding Chris? While the news itself was fading, how many viewers were buying into Chris's self-defense? How many of those claiming to boycott the film were serious? How did the core audience for superhero movies perceive this incident?
Natalie Portman, who had recently won an Oscar, could she shake off the repercussions of the "stunt double" incident and win the audience's hearts again? As a pivotal supporting character, how much could Anthony Hopkins contribute to the commercial success of the film? Did Paramount have a contingency plan to mitigate the impact?
Similarly, "Fast 5" was also affected. How much could the film benefit from this situation? Could Renly, as the third male lead, influence the film positively? Was it a good or bad thing for him not to capitalize on the situation? Had Universal Pictures adjusted its promotional strategy accordingly? What was the extent of the impact on the box office?
Regardless of the truth, Renly and Chris had irreversibly strained their relationship. However, the positions of the two parties were quietly shifting.
For Renly, whether "Fast 5" achieved great success or not, his popularity was set to soar, and his name would become widely recognized, partly thanks to the "borrowed script" incident.
For Chris, this was a pivotal showdown he couldn't afford to lose. If "Thor" triumphed at the box office, things would be manageable, and even the worst of circumstances could be resolved. However, if the box office results turned into a disaster, everyone would point fingers at Chris, especially Paramount Pictures. What changes lay in store for Chris's future career were unknown.
Was it going to be a comeback from the brink of defeat or a downfall from which he might not recover? This situation, perched on the edge of a cliff, had stirred up the media's adrenaline. All eyes were impatiently fixated on the summer box office battle between "Fast 5" and "Thor".
To be more precise, the waves caused by the "borrowed script" incident hadn't subsided; they had shifted the focus. From a mere investigation of personal responsibility, it had extended to a box office battle between two commercial productions, even involving the expectations, planning, and importance placed on these films by their respective studios.
Compared to "Chris vs. Renly", this was much more stimulating.
This was a war that Chris couldn't afford to lose. Looking back at how it all began, when the gossip first surfaced, Renly had said in an interview, "You want a war? Then I'll give you a war." Now, the war was truly raging, just as he had wished. However, Chris was less certain whether he truly wanted this war.
Major media outlets eagerly expressed their views and predictions on the summer box office battle. Overall, mainstream media had a more favorable view of "Thor".
Over the past two years, superhero movies adapted from comics had been on the rise, and the audience market was gradually expanding. Paramount Pictures had invested heavily, surpassing a budget of over $40M solely for promotional expenses. Furthermore, the negative news's impact was mainly limited to North America, with experts believing that a visually driven commercial blockbuster like "Thor" would easily dominate overseas markets.
Also, no one should forget that the internal test screenings for Paramount had received outstanding reviews. Although internal test screening reviews were often unreliable, and it was not uncommon for drastically different negative reviews to emerge after the official release, overall, the momentum for "Thor" was undeniable.
As for the opponent in this showdown, "Fast 5", the previous installments had accumulated a loyal fan base. Universal Pictures had invested significantly in promotion, and the positive signals from the internal test screenings were promising. Additionally, the subjective boost from the news hype was an advantage that set the stage for outstanding box office results.
However, compared to "Thor", "Fast 5" was somewhat smaller in every aspect. Box office predictions weren't an objective mathematical problem with scores for each aspect adding up to a conclusion; it was merely a trend forecast. But it couldn't be denied that "Fast 5" was trailing behind in nearly every aspect, and the overall gap was becoming more pronounced.
The biggest suspense now was how much the unexpected news from the past period, the confrontation between Renly and Chris, and Renly's rivalry with Natalie, would contribute to the success of "Fast 5". How much damage would "Thor" face? What positive impact could the opening week of the summer season bring to "Thor's" box office? What effect would the spring season's "Fast 5", with its disadvantages, produce?
With all the pluses and minuses in mind, the gap between the two productions had narrowed, and the suspense had naturally increased, making it increasingly difficult to predict the outcome.