Though we’re a few weeks away from the premiere of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ we’re already hearing about the film’s epic two-part sequel ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ Last week, it was officially confirmed that ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ directors Anthony and Joe Russo would be directing the Phase Three finale. We also heard that writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who are also working with the Russos currently on ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ will pen the third and fourth movies featuring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. However, one person that won’t be involved (at least in a directorial capacity) is Joss Whedon. We heard some time ago that the fan favorite filmmaker known for cult classics such as ‘Firefly,’ ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ and ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ was “very doubtful” that he would return to make another Avengers movie, but now it’s official. So why has Whedon decided to step away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We have the answers right here.
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly during a visit to the ‘Age of Ultron’ set, Whedon revealed his motivations behind passing the ‘Infinity War’ baton to the Russos:
“Every movie I have ever made has been an ensemble piece of increasingly enormous proportions. That many balls in the air, it’s only going to get bigger with ‘Infinity War’. I’m not going to be able to give it what I would need to. It’s a young man’s game.”
Though many True Believers are likely to be upset that he won’t be coming back for another go, it’s certainly understandable why Whedon has chosen to move on. In the entertainment industry, it’s always good to switch things up and try something new every once in a while so that the work doesn’t get stale. Plus, it has to be exhausting to handle these huge blockbuster films one after the other, so I can certainly empathize with his decision. But if he’s moving away from ensemble pieces, what does that mean for the highly anticipated ‘Dr. Horrible’ sequel? I guess time will tell.
What do you think about Joss Whedon’s reason for opting out of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’? Do you think that he’ll stick around the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a consulting capacity? Or do you see him exiting entirely and leaving the Avengers in the extremely capable hands of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers? Sound off in the comments below.
