Remember the web chatter about Joss Whedon directing The Avengers for Marvel Studios? According to Deadline Whedon is right now in final negotiations.
An interesting choice. Whedon’s got exactly one movie under his belt, Serenity, and while that film is a big hit for fans of Firefly it doesn’t prove to me that he’s the right guy for the tricky job of juggling Thor, Captain America and Iron Man, along with other characters like Hawkeye, Black Widow and probably The Hulk. Fans point to Whedon’s TV shows as examples of him handling character and action at once, but I’d argue that the skills inherent in show running are very different than directing a $150+ million movie. Very, very, very different.
It’s another bold choice for Marvel Studios, who makes a lot a of bold choices. While Whedon brings a certain fanbase and recognition from his other work, I’m not convinced that it’s a different fanbase from who would be seeing The Avengers anyway. It certainly isn’t as intriguing as Summit talking to Bill Condon about directing Breaking Dawn, for instance. But unlike Condon there’s a certain expectation of what a Whedon property is – will Whedon be rewriting Zack Penn’s script to make it more Whedonesque? (Not counting the inevitable on-set rewrites that Marvel seems to be so fond of)
Let’s hope that the seeming Whedon movie curse – quick, find me a Whedon film that did well or is good that isn’t Toy Story – has evaporated. I’m really intrigued by and hopeful for The Avengers, and I want it to be a movie that works on its own terms while being cohesive within the universe that Marvel is creating on film.
At least this can’t fall prey to the Whedon TV show curse – there’s little worry of The Avengers getting canceled at the opening of the second act.