Pictured above (center): One lucky bastard.
  • Pictured above (center): One lucky bastard.

I can think of no other way to introduce this item than by saying "Set your geek boners to maximum, geeks." Which, somehow, seems appropriate. Via Deadline New York:

I'm told Marvel Studios is in final negotiations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series architect Joss Whedon to direct Marvel Studios' The Avengers. That's the fast-tracked film that would amount to an all-star team of Marvel superheros, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), as well as SHIELD leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Other signature superheros will likely be involved, but I've listed the actors in active superhero duty. Whedon has been rumored for this job for awhile, and is high on the fanboy wish-list. He's an interesting choice: despite his writing/producing TV series resume, his lone feature directing effort, Serenity, was not a hit.

I've been hearing rumors about Whedon being lined up for this for a while, but I honestly thought they were just part of some cruel April Fool's joke intended sucker in and then destroy nerds. Now that it's apparently at least somewhat legit... well, shit. That's about the best possible news for The Avengers; with Whedon's knack for big casts (Serenity) and his unfuckwithable knowledge of what makes superheroes awesome (Astonishing X-Men), this could be the comic-book movie to end all comic-book movies. (Especially if the flick's villain is Edward Norton as the Hulk. Or actually, even if the flick's villain is just regular Edward Norton. That could be cool too.) Anyway, fingers crossed this works out.