Constantine story wasn't overly complicated—essentially, it was a tale of navigating between Heaven and Hell, ultimately outsmarting Satan himself.
In Anton mind, he already had a solid reference point: the Keanu Reeves Constantine movie, Hellblazer, from 2005.
Simply adapting that would save a tremendous amount of effort.
Back then, the film had a $100 million budget and earned $230 million at the box office.
Though critically acclaimed and beloved by fans, it didn't turn a substantial profit—some would say it barely broke even after factoring in operational costs.
Over time, however, the movie became a cult classic among enthusiasts.
In this world, though, with the report Anton had just reviewed and the fan metrics only he could see on his system dashboard, it was clear that Constantine magical universe held strong appeal to niche audiences.
Coupled with Anton position as the face of DC Entertainment and the worldwide fame of Batman and the Justice League, a well-executed promotional campaign would ensure the movie wouldn't flop.
It was only a matter of how much profit it would make.
And profit wasn't even Anton primary goal in filmmaking.
Without hesitation, he made up his mind.
"Constantine?"
Jim, on the other end of the call, was surprised—and a little disappointed.
As a DC employee, Jim was well-acquainted with the company roster of characters.
In his view, Constantine was a relatively obscure hero with a limited audience, far from the mass appeal of other figures.
To Jim, the most obvious candidate for a film adaptation was The Flash.
With the TV series just concluded and performing decently well, a follow-up movie would be a guaranteed success.
Still, Jim knew better than to argue with Anton. He agreed readily, adapting to the decision with practiced ease.
Anton position was unique.
To the public, he was seen as part of the Justice League. What more, Anton was the only member of the League without superpowers.
People widely regarded him as the Justice League steward, responsible for logistics and support.
The Daily Bugle served as the League mouthpiece, while DC Entertainment was the go-to source for learning about the League heroes.
Both were under Anton control, solidifying his image as the League official "caretaker."
Anton actions carried weight far beyond his personal ambitions—they reflected the Justice League as a whole.
"Constantine…"
After the call ended, Jim stroked his chin, suddenly feeling a spark of excitement.
So far, every project Anton had worked on had introduced a new superhero.
Would this film mean a new addition to the Justice League?
John Constantine.
A magical hero steeped in theology, joining a roster that now included Wonder Woman…
Jim couldn't shake the feeling that a door to a new world was opening for ordinary people like him.
Anton, meanwhile, had no interest in Jim musings.
He summoned Browning from the screenwriting department for a full day of discussions about the plot.
As always, Anton drafted the story outline while Browning and the other writers worked on filling in the details.
Given the straightforward nature of Constantine story, with its strong emotional beats and satisfying twists, they quickly put together a rough draft.
After work, Anton leisurely made his way home.
By then, the old man and John had returned to New York from Washington ahead of schedule.
Their negotiations over the past few days had solidified further collaboration between the military and Wayne Enterprises, yielding significant benefits for both sides.
Anton "convenient father," John Jameson, had come to grasp the full scope of Wayne Enterprises during this latest round of negotiations—and he was thoroughly stunned.
In the short time he'd been away, his household had undergone a complete transformation.
His convenient son had become a world-renowned director, and even more shockingly, the sole ordinary human in a team of superheroes.
His convenient father had risen to the position of chairman of a burgeoning arms company.
Meanwhile, the Jameson family original mainstay, The Daily Bugle, seemed to have been relegated to the least significant part of their empire.
This whirlwind of changes left John needing quite some time to adjust upon his return home, though he eventually grew accustomed to it.
That sense of normalcy was shattered once again after the recent battle in Washington.
John realized he had still underestimated Anton and the old man.
Based on the content of the negotiations between Wayne Enterprises and the military, it was evident that Wayne Enterprises had laid the foundation to become a dominant player in the arms industry.
Within a few years, it was poised to claim a significant share of the global market.
Following his discussions with the old man, John decided he would join Wayne Enterprises as his deputy.
Their shared goal was to transform Wayne Enterprises into a conglomerate akin to Stark Industries.
The Jameson family would hold a position of unparalleled influence within this new empire.
"Anton, you all handled this brilliantly."
The old man greeted Anton with a rare smile as he arrived home.
"The Avengers' reputation has been thoroughly tarnished, and the military is thrilled.
They gave Batman significant leverage during the Wayne Enterprises negotiations."
The Avengers, as a SHIELD subsidiary, had long been a thorn in the military side.
After all, SHIELD continued presence on American soil was a constant irritant.
Fortunately, the military alliance with the Justice League had allowed them to shine in this incident, completely overshadowing SHIELD in both fame and public favor.
In the eyes of many, the Justice League had left the Avengers in the dust.
Even with Captain America as their figurehead, the Avengers had lost the aura of reverence they had enjoyed when they first emerged.
Now, merely mentioning Batman was enough to silence Captain America fans.
"That how it should be. Without Batman, the military would've suffered heavy losses this time," Anton replied before raising a question.
"From what I saw in the final reports, SHIELD hasn't been forced to leave U.S. soil, not even Washington. Did the military really let them off the hook—for a single Helicarrier?"
"Of course not. It wasn't just a Helicarrier—it included all the technology needed to manufacture them."
The old man, clearly well-informed, leaned back with a knowing smirk.
During the Wayne Enterprises negotiations, parallel discussions were taking place between the military and SHIELD.
John Keller, in light of Anton and Batman involvement, had been candid with the old man—after all, this wasn't exactly a secret.
Perhaps Keller hoped that, through the old man, the details of the negotiations would reach Anton and, by extension, Batman.
"All the technology to manufacture Helicarriers…"
Anton raised an eyebrow. "SHIELD is certainly being generous, but surely the military isn't simply accepting that at face value?"
"It not as simple as you think. The Helicarrier technology was something only SHIELD had full control over—even the UN Security Council knew only the 'what' but not the 'how.' They never had access to the actual technical details," the old man said.
"But this time, Nick Fury directly shared the entirety of the Helicarrier technology with the permanent member states of the Security Council.
In doing so, he secured their forgiveness and their unanimous support. Of course, the U.S. representative used this as leverage to ensure the only physical Helicarrier remained in the Washington military district.
Additionally, during the negotiations between SHIELD and the military, a few other concessions were made."
Anton listened thoughtfully, his mind racing.
If Nick Fury was still alive after this ordeal, it likely meant that the clash between the Avengers and the Justice League was something Fury had intentionally allowed to unfold.
Nick Fury understood the principle of "breaking down to rebuild." So, he had effectively faked his death to flush out the internal traitors within SHIELD.
If he dared to orchestrate something this bold, he was undoubtedly prepared for the consequences.
This was something Fury had calculated well in advance.
The old man, unconcerned with Anton train of thought, continued,
"Beyond that, SHIELD also shared a significant amount of intelligence with the military and even offered up a major research project—something they called 'Project Pegasus.' I don't know the specifics, but the military accepted the terms."
He paused.
"Lastly, Nick Fury stepped down as SHIELD director, with Phil Coulson taking over. Maria Hill, the representative most trusted by the Security Council, replaced Alexander Pierce as Secretary-General of SHIELD.
These are just surface-level changes. I don't need to explain further; you know what they mean..."
The old man finally noticed Anton subtle shift in expression and raised an eyebrow. "What the matter? Got another angle on this?"
"Not really."
Anton narrowed his eyes, replaying the old man words in his head before shaking his head.
"I just find it interesting. Nick Fury is even colder than I thought."
"Funny, John Keller said the same thing about him," the old man remarked, looking genuinely surprised.