Though there has been no official confirmation, Anthony and Joe Russo have long been the odds-on favorites to direct the two-part Avengers: Infinity War after they’re done with Captain America: Civil War. Which is fine, because the Russo’s have certainly proven their worth to Marvel and fandom with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and their plans for Civil War, but what about Joss Whedon?
Tapped to write and direct the Avengers and bring the jewel of the then-evolving Marvel Movie Universe to life back in 2010 despite having only helmed the commercially middling Serenity film, Whedon has silenced his doubters now that he has helmed one (and eventually probably two) of the highest grossing films of all-time. The thing is, Whedon hasn’t had the time to use his newfound pull to do much more than play within Marvel’s toybox for five years, which is why he told Empire Magazine that it’s “very doubtful” that he would have an interest in returning… at least for Infinity War.
“I couldn’t imagine doing this again,” he reveals, referring to the time and effort which has gone into the sequel. “It’s enormously hard, and it be, by then, a good five years since I created anything that was completely my own. So it’s very doubtful that I would take on the two-part Infinity War movie that would eat up the next four years of my life. I obviously still want to be a part of the Marvel Universe – I love these guys – but it ain’t easy. This year has been more like running three shows than any year of my life. It is bonkers.”
So, more Firefly then? Probably not. The blessing and the curse of Whedon is that he creates (or ushers in) these amazing things and then people demand that he do nothing more than service those things. That’s why people are going to be upset by his seeming disinterest in chaining himself to Marvel for another half-decade. But while that clamour has been doubtlessly beneficial to Whedon’s career, standing still and/or looking back doesn’t seem as though it would be creatively fulfilling.
There is the cynical thought that this could all be a negotiation ploy, of course, but if Whedon were to sign on for Infinity War, that would mean almost ten years without an original project and that just seems unfathomable for someone with his resume, so here we are. Unfortunately, Marvel’s release dates are set in stone and this train won’t stop for Whedon to spend substantial time creating something new to refresh his soul, but it will surely come back around again if that’s what he wants someday. Whedon’s made his money and he’s established himself as an impact name in the blockbuster film arena — there’s no reason for him to do anything other than exactly what he wants to do.
Via Comic Book Movie
