Hellmouth Podcast

It has been confirmed that Joss Whedon is on the short list to direct the Avengers movie that Marvel Entertainment has been positioning themselves for, for the last 4 years. Joss has been working with Marvel recently writing for the X-Men series and having great success, in some way revitalizing that title for a large number of fans.

It makes sense that Joss would be considered. He brings a built in fanbase/audience to the film from both the Whedonverse and comic world, even though Marvel Entertainment doesn’t seem to have a problem filling theater seats. However, there is a large part of the Whedonverse that might go see the Avengers movie directed by Joss that might have otherwise skipped it.

Joss would be a great addition to the film, he has proven time and again that he is the cream of the crop when it comes to directing hero-based action stories. I would love to see him working with actors like Robert Downey Jr., Ed Norton, Don Cheadle and some of the others who are rumored to be on board for the film. I think that would make for some really fantastic interactions. Joss would also be able to add a point of view or a vision for the film that is unique and I believe will flourish in the comic movie genre. He has an eye for putting the audience in the story as opposed to simply observing the story. This has box office gold written all over it.

So here is the downside, I wrote previously about why I wanted Joss to steer away from the feature film market but I will recap quickly why I don’t like that idea. If Joss signs on for the Avengers then we lose Joss for approximately 12-18 months. At the end of that 18 months we lose him for 2 more months for promoting the film. We get a 150 minute film that completely rocks but that is really the equivalent of 4 television episodes. So what would you prefer, the equivalent of 4 tv episodes in almost 2 years? Or Joss holds out signs a new TV series deal and we perhaps get 30+ hours of Whedony goodness delivered on a weekly basis? I also think that Joss’ style of storytelling lends it self better to a weekly series than a one shot film. Top that off with the fact that Joss will probably not write the Avengers script he will only direct so we won’t get the dialogue, humor, etc that we expect from a Joss Whedon project. Marvel Entertainment has a lot of respect for Joss handing over the reigns of arguable their two largest titles, The Avengers and the X-Men, but I guarantee the suits will be all over the set making suggestions and putting their fingerprint on the project. Especially now that Disney has bought Marvel Entertainment.

I have two boys, so the Disney company and I have a close relationship and while I think they do a good job with their films, Disney is a movie manufacturer. They have a formula that they think works and they stick to it. I worry that Disney will not appreciate, understand or tolerate Joss deviating from the formula too much and this has the potential to be a huge source of frustration for Joss.

On the plus side, how fantastic would it be to see some of the Whedon Alumni popping up in The Avengers movie? Nathan Fillion as Captain America, I’d pay to see that. Eliza Dushky as the Black Widow, Amy Acker as the Scarlet Witch, James Marsters as Hawkeye the possibilities are endless. As a comic fan I am geeking out just thinking about it.

So if you had to choose between Dr. Horrible 2 – Feature Film, New Joss Whedon TV Series, or Joss Whedon’s The Avengers what do you choose? What Whedon Alumni would you want to see cast in the film?

One Response to “Joss Whedon Directing The Avengers?”