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Joss Whedon said today during a Comic-Con press conference for his series Firefly‘s 10-year anniversary that he hasn’t committed to making the sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers, this year’s massive Disney tentpole that he directed and co-wrote. 
“I have not come to a decision on directing Avengers 2 yet,” he said. “I am having too much fun with this (Firefly reunion) now.” The Marvel superhero pic is the third-highest-grossing movie of all time to date, and has racked up $612.3 million domestically and $1.46 billion worldwide, so having the architect back for a sequel is top of mind.
Related: Disney Passing $1B Domestic Box Office
As for the Firefly panel, fans erupted with gleeful screams over the reunion of the cast. Whedon, writer Jose Molina, exec producer Tim Minear and actors Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Summer Glau, Sean Maher and Adam Baldwin appeared. A Firefly marathon will air on Science Channel on November 11, followed by Browncoats Unite, an anniversary special for which the cast spent most of their morning shooting footage. Highlights of the panel will be included. Whedon said there are no immediate plans to reboot the cult sci-fi series on TV or film. ”We could shoot something on my phone right now,” he quipped.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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This guy is real talent – he’ll do it when the numbers are right.
I don’t think it’s about any number. When you sign on to a Marvel movie, especially Avengers, you’re going to have to dedicate a lot of time to that film. Whedon was in talks to direct the film in April 2010 and was busy from that point until a few months before the film opened in May. That’s 2 years of dedication.
Whedon is a very creative man and likes to create his unique projects from scratch. He likes to work on his own things. If he signs on for the sequel, he has to start on it almost immediately. He wouldn’t have time for any other projects until late 2014/early 2015. Having the third highest grossing film of all time has finally given him well-deserved clout in mainstream Hollywood. At this point, he could probably get anything he wanted to do made. Maybe even get a show on network TV that would be given a chance. It would be a shame to possibly squander that and jump back into another huge project.
I really want him to make more Marvel movies, but at the same time I really want more original stuff from Whedon.
When his Wonder Woman script was canned, Whedon mentioned that that effort had taken two years of his life. I remember the quote, “I don’t have that many two-years left.”
When previously asked about directing Avengers 2, Joss mentioned that he might prefer to develop his own original ideas, rather than working on Marvel’s existing ones.
And if yesterday’s Firefly 10th reunion tells us anything, is that the fans love Joss’ original ideas. And that Joss appreciates his fans.
Very few people go see a movie solely based on the director…Avengers will be fine without him.
They do when it’s Joss Whedon.
I tried to watch Serenity. Unwatchable.
Thanks for your relevant and substantiated opinion.
You have NO taste.
As a non-Whedonite, I thoroughly enjoyed SERENITY, more than once. And, seriously, outside the world of porn and snuff films, calling a movie “unwatchable” is facile and lazy.
I disagree with your analysis.
I have loved Joss Whedon’s work a long time. But I too don’t get the whole Firefly thing. And when Joss kills off my favorite characters (Buffy, Serenity, Dr. Horrible – I can’t take it. Anyway, Firefly/Serenity just didn’t work for me. And I watched all the eps. of his other failed shows (sorry, I loves me some Eliza, but couldn’t get on the train for Dollhouse) and just came away crushed and disappointed. I LOVE Joss but sometimes he just makes me sad with what he does. Or crazy, as in “Cabin in the Woods”. I know where they were going, what they were trying to do, the irony they were trying to create, but the 3rd act was a crazy mess even for a crazy movie. And, SPOILER ALERT: the end, in a way, is just like Cloverfield. Not the remaining character’s choice, but the fact that they are just sitting there waiting for the world to change and death to come. END OF SPOILER. I want Joss to be better. Even with the B-meister I don’t think he reached his potential. I think he would be better working mainstream for a bit (with a close watch on what he does)on Avengers 2 than going off on his own as per usual. And believe me, it hurts me to say that because I think he could be a God amongst Directors.
Joss who?
I saw the Serenity movie more by incident and didn’t know the series or other of Whedons work either (not everyone is American nor Buffy fan
). I find it a very fresh and entertaining style of space opera, with a admirable sense of humor – love at first sight! 
Later I realized, that there is a whole series – and I became a “Whedonite” too!
So if there will be a Reunion, there isn’t much I could wait for with higher hopes …
)
Joss Whedon will be back to direct “Avengers” 1 & 2, there’s no doubt about this. Too much Financial, critical, commercial and artistic success for Whedon and Marvel/Disney to part ways, i just don’t see that happening. Who’s to even say that a deal has not already been made, just because Whedon is saying he’s not sure he will return which he’s has been saying for the last 2-3 months, does’nt mean it’s not already a done deal.
Because some people want to feel they’re working on their own personal things, and Avengers is an already established world where there are lots of limitations, plot-wise, character-wise etc.
Gary Ross had a lot of “financial, critical, commercial and artistic success” from Hunger Games, yet declined to do the next one despite Lionsgate’s willingness. So it does happen.
And I don’t think “it’s a done deal already”, why would Whedon lie about that? I think he’s an honest guy.
Yes it has happen but I have my doubts it will happen here. I do think Whedon needs a break with The Avengers to work on his own original projects then return for a sequel. But it’s hard for me to see Whedon deciding not to return. If he doesn’t return many people included myself will be disappointed but will accept his decision.
Although, I do have my concerns that if he doesn’t return for sequel that the film may go to lesser hands. If that happens I don’t think Whedon would have a right to complain about the film since he could have returned for a sequel.
With all the sequels already planned, the Avengers sequel may be a long time coming. That could give Joss time to do his own thing.
Avengers aside.
“As for the Firefly panel, fans erupted with gleeful screams over the reunion of the cast…”
I’d love to see another FF movie or series.
Joss: RE: Directing another Avenger movie………..As our Producer friend always stated (you know who i’m talking about) “You ride the horse til it drops, then you pick it up and drag it”!!!!!
Disney/Marvel/The Avengers need Joss Whedon more than Joss Whedon needs them.
They DON’T have a 3-picture contract with Whedon? Time to write a check, Disney.
With a monster this big (AVENGERS) there’s going to be VERY little care given to “artistic” thoughts.
I’m already surprised there hasn’t been an announcement made about AVENGERS 2 already being in production.
Don’t usually watch movies based on comic books, but if Whedon’s directing I might make an exception for this one. I have yet to see anything by him I didn’t like.
Unfortunately we are very stingy and we don’t see the need to pay Joss what he deserves for the sequel. We will make Avengers 2 without Mr. Whedon. We thank him for his excellent work on the first Avengers and wish him well in all his future endeavors.
If that is the case, than Marvel is really retarded. Something tells me they’re not going to be silly enough to take that risk here and they’re going to re-sign Whedon. It’s one thing to let a director go after a film makes 400-600 million worldwide, but letting a director go after a film makes 1.5-1.6 billion worldwide is another story.
Um.. According to Kevin Feige himself, Marvel has an option on Joss to direct AVENGERS 2. I was under the impression that means he HAS to…
nope, you can’t legally make some one work on something. you know that whole slavery problem.
The company option only allows Disney to dump him for someone else.
The end result is that if you’re MARVEL, you give this guy whatever he wants in the creative dept along with a check for 20M AND A certain percentage of the merchandise like RDJ has in his contract with IRONMAN.. You offer Whedon this and if possible, just go ahead and do AVENGERS 2 and 3 back to back like they did with the Back to the Future movies in the past.. Once he gets past that, he’s free to go on his own, so long as we get an entire trilogy with Whedon behind it.. Anyone else other than Whedon and I’m jumping ship.. Plain and simple.. He knows the story, he knows the characters, he get’s IT..
I agree with you 100%, MARVEL just needs to pay this guy his worth and value and not screw around. I too believe that Whedon has a vision for this franchise that i would like him to see all the way through, like you said this guy knows his s…t. He’s excellent at directing big casts and female action characters, something that a lot of directors seem incappable of doing. It takes a guy with vision and leadership to make films like this, someone who can get big stars to check their egos at the door and worked together as one big cohesive unit. Shooting these sequels back to back does sound like a great idea, like you said they did it with BACK TO THE FUTURE, it was done with LOTR,POTC and now it’s being done with the HOBBIT, so it could be done here as well. I understand that some people would like to see Whedon go back to some of his earlier projects or more original concepts, but i’m sorry to break it to you but that makes no financial/buisness sense whatsoever, not right now. Like you said make these two sequels, where Joss Whedon can really truly build his name up and he would be set for life to do any future projects he wanted to. Do 3 films like Raimi did with the original ‘Spidey’ franchise and Nolan has now done with ‘Bats’ franchise, know what i mean.
I have been a big follower of the Whedonverse since the Buffy days. Joss is a rare talent, no doubt. However, he does have one, major, failing.
He has the attentions span of a gnat. When he first conceives of a project, he lavishes love, care, and attention on it. And it is good. Then, after 3-4 years, he loses interest and gets a new toy. And lavishes love and care on that, and it is good. But he forgets about the old toy. He may not really want to do another Avengers. Having spent 2+ years on the first one, he may be played out. Plus, with the cachet from the 1st one, he will now get to make one of his other passion projects.
I hear you, but there’s time to do that. I think with the AVENGERS right now, there’s more bigger fish to fry, especially with the next possible villian(THANOS)we we’re teased with, you just can’t pass that up for some smaller project, not right now. Like i said before, build your name and reputation up even more and he can have free reign to do whatever projects he wants to do in the future. Working on the AVENGERS for just a few more years won’t kill this guy, it’s not that damn dramatic. You must remember, this is Whedon’s first truly successful commercial project, and now he gets a chance to showcase some consistancy here. I for one am looking forward to seeing where he can take the AVENGERS next.
Gee, you’re absolutely right. After all, there were only 12 seasons of the Buffyverse.
You’re not allowed to use the phrase “Firefly reunion” unless something is actually going to come from it.
I loved Serenity and Firefly and wish it could come back in some form. Of course the cast isn’t getting any younger and most are committed to other projects. Great like most Whedon’s work.
And another thing it is possible for Whedon to act as writer and producer for The Avengers sequel but not as a director.
I doubt that is something he would be willing to do after what the director did with his script for Alien Resurrection. As he said himself everything they could have done wrong they did do wrong. Bad times.
I’m not so sure that he’ll be back this time. Whedon likes to develop characters and story lines and probably won’t want to recreate the winning formula of the first movie. The first movie was about getting them together and now that they’re together he’s gonna want to show audiences who these people are and have some say in that. With crazy infrastructure of these movies, so many directors, so many writers its hard to have creative control. Although, hiring whedon for this in the first place was a leap of faith. Maybe they’ll take another. Also, I think that he’d be more at home with a modestly budgeted Black Widow film.