The Avengers - 2 Joss Whedon Officially Set For Sequel

"The Avengers 2" is happening with Joss Whedon. That's the word from Disney, as the studio confirmed Whedon will both write and direct the upcoming "Avengers" sequel during a conference call for investors on Tuesday afternoon. In a twist, Whedon will also help Marvel and ABC develop a new television series that takes place within "The Avengers" universe.

While this might have all seemed like a foregone conclusion -- "Marvel's The Avengers" has earned over $1.46 billion around the world, with many crediting Whedon's mix of source-material reverence and sense of humor as part of the reason why -- Whedon wasn't sure if he would return for the sequel as late as Comic-Con in July.

“I have not come to a decision on directing 'Avengers 2' yet,” he said during a panel celebrating the 10th anniversary of "Firefly."

This has been quite a year for Whedon, who has long been considered a cult presence in film and television. "The Avengers" helped the creative mind behind "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly" reach a whole new audience, but it didn't make him appreciate the true fans any less.

"I've had the smartest, most loyal, most passionate, most articulate group of -- I'm not even gonna say fans. I'm going with 'peeps' -- that any cult oddity such as my bad self could have dreamt of," he wrote in a letter to fans on the website Whedonesque. "When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I've had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y'all."