San Diego Comic Con Happenings!

We're gearing up for #SDCC! The schedules have been released and info is scattered all over the internetz. It can be very confusing! But don't worry if you're having trouble scouring for all of the fun to be had, we are here for you fellow con attendee. Look out for our full schedule in about a week which we promise will detail every. single. thing. No stone will go uncovered! And if you're not going, you can rely on us for live-tweets of course! Until then, here are but a few things to do for a Whedonverse lovah:

Thursday, 7/24/14, 6:30p.m. – 7:30p.m., Room: 24ABC
Experience the first live demo and walkthrough of the game Firefly Online: Bringing Back the Verse, as well as a first look at a new trailer. Fans in attendance will also get the scoop on many other elements of Firefly Online’s world building plus a chance to interact with the game producers. In Firefly Online, players assume the role of a ship captain as they hire a crew and seek out adventures, all the while trading with and competing against other players to try to survive in the Verse.

Friday, 7/25/14, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Ballroom 20
To prepare for its fall return at the new time of 9:00 p.m. ET Tuesday nights, Comic-Con International will be hosting a panel with all your favorite agents to talk about Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and "Marvel's Agent Carter"! Join moderator Jeph Loeb and Executive Producers Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen and Jeffrey Bell, along with cast members Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May), Brett Dalton (Grant Ward), Chloe Bennet (Skye), Iain de Caestecker (Leo Fitz) and Elizabeth Henstridge (Jemma Simmons). Plus, learn more about midseason series “Marvel’s Agent Carter”, in this can’t miss Q&A panel that will take you behind the scenes and into the future of Marvel's live action television series.

Check out an autograph session for “Marvel’s Agent Carter” preceding the panel from 1:00-2:00 p.m. PT at the Marvel Booth (#2329) on the Convention Floor. Plus, on Saturday, July 26, meet the “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” cast and Executive Producers for an autograph session from 10:00-11:00am at the Marvel Booth (#2329).

Saturday 7/26/14, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Hall H 
Marvel Studios President and Producer Kevin Feige and special guests will provide an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe! No details as of yet, but speculation has been run amuck about appearances by some or all of director Joss Whedon and stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo. Fingers crossed!!

Announcing Our New Blogger, Kevin Alvir!

As we roll out our re-launch, we are excited to announce today a new member to the Buffyfest team! Our new blogger Kevin Alvir is a huge Buffy fan, comic book fan and all-around funny guy. He will be the boss of all things Season 10 here on Buffyfest, amongst other things. Check our our interview with him below where we discuss his favorite Buffy moments (Kevin is a rare Season 4 lover!) his awesome band The Hairs and his webcomic, American Cheese.

Please join us in welcoming Kevin to our humble internet home…..

Buffyfest: Kevin Alvir, we are so excited to have you on board as our new blogger and dedicated Buffy Season 10 comic lord! Can we be so bold to ask, what attracted you to this role at Buffyfest? 

Kevin Alvir: Thank you for the warm welcome!! I am excited to join the team. I was excited about Buffyfest because .....no surprise I am a big fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer show and I enjoy the comics. I have a lot of thoughts about Buffy and I just felt like I'd want to share them.

Buffyfest: How did you get into to the Whedonverse and what do you love about it?

KA: I got into the Whedonverse a few years ago. I did watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer [the film] when it came out in theaters in 1992, opening weekend. I know that version of BTVS was not what Joss had in mind, but still the idea was There! Anyways - I was recommended to check out the show by a trusted friend and became a believer. I had seen a handful of episodes while it was on and liked them. But I think I needed to watch the show from start to finish to get the thrust of the characters and the story.

As for what I love about it, Buffy specifically - I think you have everything in one show. It's funny, scary, romantic, girly, butch, action packed, character driven, serious, ridiculous. It just feels really complete to me.

Buffyfest: We love the OG Buffy movie around these parts too. Respect the Swanson. So Kevin, you are the songwriter and lead singer of the critically-acclaimed Brooklyn indie band The Hairs. For those not-in-the-know about amazing music, why don't you give them a little schooling on your rad band?

KA: Why thank you!! Yep, I make music. I like to think of it as weirdo pop songs that I treat as if I were Joni Mitchell or something?? I guess I'm just trying to speak my mind through odd lo-fi pop noise. I think of it as a platform for my comedy and my stories filtered through my musical brain. I am working on a new solo project that I am not ready to talk about. But The Hairs have music out there on the internet and on iTunes and record labels. It might be up your alley. Also we have some music videos that I'm real proud of. Check it out, Yo!!! 

Buffyfest: You also write notable webcomic American Cheese, give us the cheddar on that, will you?

KA:  THE CHEDDAR of American Cheese - well I started doing it last year. I had been a comic book fan since I was a kid. I've always wanted to do comics. But I have ideas that are better for music or some other platform. ANYWAYS - It's a place where I can come up with characters that I feel are some extension of me and have them go through little adventures or tell jokes. I was surprised when I came up with just one comic - and now I have like 80 comics amassed in the past year? 

credit: Kevin Alvir - American Cheese 2013

Buffyfest: Singer, songwriter, comedian, illustrator & comic writer…you're a quintuple threat. Where does all this creative energy come from?

KA: This makes me blush. All this creative energy??? Where does it come from? If I can lay on my shrink's couch. I guess I've just been absorbing all these ideas for the past 30+ years and always feeling like i couldn't or shouldn't participate. And I got tired of sitting on the sidelines and keeping my mouth shut. I just wanted to do my own thing and get my own ideas out there. I have a love for comics, music, comedy, acting, and telling stories in general. So I just wanted to get out there and speak my mind before...I die or something….

Buffyfest: What comic books did you like growing up?

KA: As a kid, the comics that really got me were Peter David's run on X-Factor, Incredible Hulk, and Spider-Man 2099. When those comics were released - those were my favorite times of the month. His writing had a lot of character and had a certain charm. I am also a huge fan of the Batman animated series from the 90s - the stories by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm still have a lasting impression on me.

As I progressed, my tastes got a bit more alternative. I got into Neil Gaiman's Sandman and all of those related titles, Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol, The Invisibles and Animal Man. The Watchmen (of course - everyone says that). Then I got more "indie" with Madman by Mike Allred (whom I am glad to see becoming the superstar I always thought he was). I also read Strangers in Paradise, THB, Bone, Tales of Beanworld, SIN, Atomic City Tales, Hate, Eightball, Milk & Cheese, Flaming Carrot, the Spirit. I know there were so many more.

I know I got into a lot of the Dark Horse / Legend imprint and any Slave Labor Graphics, Fantagraphics, Kitchen Sink, Tundra, Vertigo comics.

Nowadays: I like Lose by Michael DeForge, the Adventure Time stuff, Sex Criminals, Saga, Young Avengers, She-Hulk, FF (until it ended)

Buffyfest: Your thoughts on Joss Whedon's take on The Avengers?

KA: You know I was not really a fan of The Avengers (comic book) as a kid. It seemed like "too much." I barely read comics as a child. I only looked at the images. I think the look of it was a lot of colored costumes, muscles,and no reference point of why they were all together.

However, these new movies really simplified what these characters' existences were about. They made them relatable. I knew Joss Whedon would definitely nail it. He made something that - much like Buffy - was really ridiculous and action packed - seem very real and relatable. I like the personalities that they've forged in the movies. Captain America has an air of tragedy and a lack of home. Iron Man is fun because he's so cocky and also kind of a fuck-up. Thor is well....a strong guy that is a fish out of water on Earth, and the Hulk - who is the rage problem superhero.

Anyways - I am excited to see where Joss takes Avengers 2 and how he'll humanize these characters that used to seem so wooden to me. If anything - it's about the characters and where their situations take them.

Buffyfest: As a long-time comic appreciator, how do you feel about the Dark Horse Buffyverse comics? I love the idea of extending the show past its' run and giving it life in comics. I think that is a really cool idea. The comics are really enjoyable. I am more partial to certain seasons and issues more than others. I like how the series has evolved through the comics. I am excited to see where they take Season 10. The feel of it so far really takes Buffy some place familiar and kinda new.

Buffyfest: Finally, what's your favorite Buffy moment?

KA: My favorite Buffy moment. There are a lot. I mean I liked seeing Buffy go to college in Season 4. She wasn't so sad and actually had a lot more fun. Season 5 was my favorite season of Buffy. Although Buffy having fun is great. I do like seeing her go through the ringer. (Not a pun regarding that show SMG did a couple years ago on CW.)

But my most FAVORITE: I loved "Who Are You" - where Faith and Buffy have a "Freaky Friday" experience. I was floored by the amazing impersonations that Eliza Dushku and Sarah Michelle Gellar did of each other. But I thought it was cool to see Faith (while inside Buffy's body) get a sense of how people saw her. Faith started to realize that her biggest enemy was herself. I have seen the good guy / bad guy brain switch happen before. But I liked how complicated and real it was in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer world.

BTVS Season 4's "Who Are You"

Kevin, thanks so much for joining us, we're so happy to have you on board! And readers, check out The Hairs and American Cheese - and of course upcoming posts of Kevin's on Buffyfest where he'll be reviewing the Buffy S.10 comics and so much more...

Joss Whedon on 'The Avengers 2': "We're All Our Own Worst Enemy"

Prior to winning, Joss Whedon spoke to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards last night. He let on that he's is already hard at work on the sequel to The Avengers and said he's nearly done with the first draft.

"It's been enormous fun, followed by deep, deep panic," Joss told THR. "I'm in the deep panic stage now. Actually, I've gone past panic into a vague nether-stage."

See the full video below:

Joss Whedon & Avengers Hotties win at the MTV Movie Awards, Get Cut Off. Wah Wah!

Last night's MTV Movie Awards was bizarre, to say the least....but I really didn't expect to see Joss Whedon there in his skinny jeans winning the awards for "Best Fight" AND "Movie of the Year" alongside hotties Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans and um, Samuel L. Jackson (sure, why not?) Best line? "What's the opposite of humbled? We're Biebered to be standing here." HA!

But even though I didn't notice at the time, Perez Hilton reports "MTV pulled an OSCAR and cut Joss Whedon’s mic during his acceptance speech. NOT COOL." Oh snap!

Oh well, at least our boy got the win, right? See the full clips below:

Get More: 2013 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News

Get More: 2013 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News

Marvel and Joss Sittin' in a Tree....

Take that FOX!

So in case you haven't heard by now, Joss Whedon has conquered all things Marvel. After Whedon's "The Avengers" earned nearly $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office (making it the third-highest-grossing film of all time) it was announced earlier in the week by Disney chief Bob Iger at Walt Disney Investors Conference Call that Joss Whedon has signed a 3-year contract with the Mouse House.

The big news is he will be once again writing and directing for The Avengers sequel!  Furhermore, Jossiepoo is also tying it all together on the small screen by handling an ABC live-action television series which will be set inside the Marvel cinematic universe.

Joss Whedon back on television! ::dies:: Will Summer Glau be in that show? OF COURSE SHE WILL! Get Sarah Michelle Gellar on there as well! It can be a big incestuous cross-over event that melts all our brains!

Now speculation is in order for Avengers 2 which will reunite Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawk Eye, obvs. Will Nathan Fillion be cast somewhere? OF COURSE HE WILL! Alexis Denisof will likely be thrown in the mix as well. Oh yeahhh.

Who do YOU think Joss will bring back into the fold for these Marvel projects?

Christina Hendricks Boobies, Avengers Mania, Drusilla Comic and More!

[General Spoilers] Boo, I don't think we've ever gone this many weeks without an update! On top of that, it seems that we missed quite a bit in the way of Whedonverse news. So let's do a quick recap of the past few weeks! If not for your benefit, then at least for mine:

First up, every Whedonite's dream: Christina Hendricks NAKED ON THE INTERNETZ! That's right, Our Mrs. Reynolds got her phone hacked by nasty hackers, but her rep made a statement:

"Christina's phone was in fact hacked and photos were stolen. The topless image is fake and not an image of Christina."

Like she said, there are some more....nipply pics out there (here and listen people, that link is NSFW). But her head is cut off so it really may not be Saffron's boobies after all. I know what I think, but you'll have to draw your own conclusions. One thing's for sure, Mad Men S.5 premiere is mere weeks away. Coincidence?

Avengers ASSEMBLE!! Oh man Whedon's Avengers are about to take over the whole damn world! The second trailer has surpassed The Dark Knight Rises' record as the most downloaded of all-time on the Apple website. There are new stills going around of Cobie Smulders as S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Maria Hill (below...her outfit is identical to ScarJo's yes?). And the Legos have even arrived!

In addition, the German version of the Avengers second trailer has come out and it features some of the bits that we saw at this past New York Comic Con, but were sworn to secrecy about. May 4th can't come quick enough!

Speaking of release dates, Cabin in the Woods second trailer has been released and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope trailer has been floating around, with it's release just a few weeks away! And if three Whedon movies aren't enough for you, let's not forget about the 2 other films on the table: The recently wrapped Much Ado About Nothing and In Your Eyes. The latter is "a metaphysical love story about two seemingly polar opposites who are deeply connected in ways neither could have ever imagined", produced by Whedon's freshly baked Bellwether Productions. Steve Howey (Kevin from Shameless) was added to the cast of Zoe Kazan, Michael Stahl-David and Mark Feuerstein. It's currently being filmed in Exeter, New Hampshire.

It's the year of Joss Whedon at the box office. Let's recap that release date schedule:
Avengers - May 4th
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope - April 6th
Cabin in the Woods - April 13th
Much Ado About Nothing - Some time this year
In Your Eyes - No release set yet

In Comic news, Drusilla has landed her very own mini-series under Dark Horse's Buffy Season 9 umbrella and it's being written by Juliet Landau herself! The comic will span 5 issues and launch in June, fresh off the character's stint in the Angel & Faith comic. As it turns out, even though Juliet had written a couple of issues in the past for IDW comics, she was actually brought in here through Buffy artist Georges Jeanty, who met her on the Comic Con circuit. Both Georges and Steve Norris will be doing cover art with Tim Seeley and Cliff Richards doing interior art. See preview pages over on CBR.

Ringer is a show on television. I really can't say much more than that because it's a truly baffling story. No one that I know will watch it after seeing the boat scene in the pilot, so I have no one to talk to. All I can do week after week is stare at the TV with a contorted look on my face of shock, wonder and a bit of shame. In any event, I still want to know where the damn thing is headed and if Sioban and Bridget will ever fist fight like Angel and Angelus did in "Orpheus". We'll all be left wondering if it doesn't get picked up for a second season. Right now Ringer has 2 sad faces on TV By the Numbers Renewal/Cancel index and that's no good. So get that petition signed. We've been here many a time, fandom...you know how to do it by now.

Finally, if you're in the NYC area and have the means, definitely consider attending Equality Now's 20th Anniversary Event on April 19th. Not only will you get the rare chance to spend the evening with Joss Whedon (honorary co-chair) and Eliza Dushku (honorary committee), but you will of course be supporting an amazing cause. Click on this link to purchase tickets.

Since I needed a little Buffyfest boost, I'll end this with an invitation to the rest of you to relive the magic with this amazing fan-made trailer below:

Avengers Assemble, Bitches!!

Oooh, sorry got a little carried away with myself there. Anywho, did you miss The Avengers TV spot during the Stupid Bowl? If so, who cares! Marvel released a bigger, better, Starkier version on their Facebook Page that we should've posted days ago! Here it is:

(Spoilers) 'The Avengers' Panel from NYCC 2011, Full Video!

Yesterday was definitely "The Avengers" day at New York Comic Con 2011. Anticipation was off the charts and the largest hall in the Javitz, the IGN theater where the panel was being held, was full from the morning on. Con guests were not budging to see this thing, leaving many others sad. Finally at 7:10 pm, over a half hour late, the audience cheered so loud that the audio was a bit distorted for the first few minutes. It was crazy. Seriously, you'd think we were seeing The Beatles reunion show.

Panel guests include Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Chris Evans (Captain America), Tom Hiddleston (super villain Loki) and Surprise Guest Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk). Highlights included: Clark Gregg singing "Avengers" theme. Ruffalo shared that since he's a friend of Ed Norton, that they'd be making jokes about the whole "Hulk casting" situation. Hiddleston hinted that he also plays his villainous character in other forms (Sif?)  Kevin Feige confirmed that he is in pre-production talks for Iron Man 3 which will be phase 2 of the Avengers Initiative and will lead into an Avengers sequel.

During the panel they showed the official trailer and a fantastic scene cut just for NYCC 2011 that focused on The Incredible Hulk's impromptu encounter with Black Widow, which had a very "Joss Whedon flavor" to the directing and dialogue. The film is of course written and directed by Whedon, who wasn't present because he was busy editing. It opens May 4, 2012. See the panel below in full!

Camera: Nanci Ocello

Asst: Michael Flaccavento

Marvel at Disney's #D23Expo now!

OK, here we go. Marvel's turn is up and cast and crew are about to be on at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, Cali! Sorry we're not there ourselves to film and live blog...but click the link FB below to experience the official live blogging, including all the juicy Spoilers. We'll keep updating this post as well (keeping it mostly Spoiler-free).
https://www.facebook.com/Marvel?sk=app_207261549308871

So far:

- They started by showing a montage of the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Iron Man to Thor, Cap and Hulk!

- Kevin Feige says there are two weeks of filming left on TheAvengers! (via @Marvel)

- Kevin's talking about how one of the highlights of his career is hiring Richard Sherman to write a song for the Stark Expo

- GIGANTIC, DEAFENING STANDING OVATION for Robert Downey Jr. (via @Agent_M)

- Joss is NOT in attendance (Joss Whedon, Sam Jackson, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans are still filming as we speak in Cleveland, so they couldn't make it.)

- Cast that is in attendance: RDJ, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, ScarJo, Cobie Smulders, Tom Hiddleston!

- The crowd then got to see footage featuring all kinds of Spoilers that Joss put together specifically for D23 Expo. Not to be shown anywhere else! (jealous)

- They got to see The Hulk roar! (first footage seen of him!)

- That's pretty much it! Getting ready for MAY 4, 2012...

Apparently no cellphones or computers were allowed in the presentation, so pics have been nil. No pics and no Joss! But here's some hotness, at least:

Superfine Chris Hemsworth on the red carpet at today's D23 Expo!

Photos of Joss on the Set of 'The Avengers'!

Long time tweep @thegingerpire has been visiting the set of The Avengers in Cleveland, Ohio and shared some pics from the set! It's fake New York and actually really doesn't look like NYC, but I'm sure the magic of hollywood will make it work. Check out Joss below in action! Link to the full album and the rest of the "smash-em-up" here. I'm thinking there are some spoilers in there too, for the hard-core zmiggies out there.

Thanks, Steph!

Drew Goddard to Possibly Direct 'Thor 2'!

The Whedonverse and the Marvelverse may collide once again! Disney and Marvel Studios are moving forward with Thor 2, which is already scheduled for release on July 26, 2013. Thor Director Kenneth Branagh won't be directing the sequel, but it looks like they may have found a Whedoney replacement!

Rumor has it that Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk is the current frontrunner to direct the sequel, but also on this list us our very own Buffy and Angel writer and Cabin In The Woods co-writer/director: Drew Goddard! Surely Joss Whedon will do everything he can to get his boy the job. And Marvel might listen since they're trusting Joss to take care of their reportedly $260 million baby, The Avengers! Plus, he's cute too, no?

To be continued...

Want to be in The Avengers?

Listen, if you're in the Ohio area, can you just do us a favor and take this gig so you can give us some secret info from the set? Joss is looking for about 2000 extras for The Avengers shoot at the other Hellmouth, Cleveland. You'll get paid too (rumors state about $50-$100 per day) so it's really a win-win for the both of us...

If you're interested, the casting calls will take place on:
Friday, July 15th from 12pm to 4pm
and Saturday, July 16th from 10am to 4pm

at:
The Holiday Inn
6001 Rockside Road
Independence, Ohio

Again, this is a paid gig. Filming will take place in Cleveland, Ohio some time in August!

To qualify, you must:

- Be 18 years or older (can bring current photo of children under 18)
- Bring a pen for application
- Know your sizes
- Come well-groomed, wearing your best business executive outfit
- Organizers said your photo will be taken during the casting call.

Where on Earth is Joss Whedon?

Trying to get that elusive Whedon-spotting but almost feel one step behind the man? Let's do a roundup of his recent whereabouts!

1. Joss was spotted walking down the street in midtown NYC eating a hot dog. But that was March 19th and a lot can happen in a month so let's skip to....

2. Yesterday when Joss made one of his purple posts over at Whedonesque, proclaiming the official start day of filming on The Avengers today. Will it be in LA where there are some Avengers casting assignments underway? Or maybe in NYC? Code named "Group Hug" we knew some filming, possibly second unit, was done in the NYC area as of April 8th. Since we're so unsure of the details, we've had Bitsy combing the streets since then, zig zagging in an east-west direction starting at Wall Street toward uptown. Last I heard he pooped out in Alphabet City, needing to lie down on a discarded mattress on Ave. C at 3rd street. If you see him there, please give him water.

3. Or is Joss filming in Albuquerque, NM today? Well, we know for a fact he was in that area over the weekend as he attended Albuquerque's Alternative Newsweekly, Alibi.com's Spring Social. There's a photo booth photo to prove it. So since it was pretty much totally confirmed that much of The Avengers filming would be done in New Mexico, my money's on Albuquerque...but Bitsy's still on street team duty until further notice.

And that's all we got for today! So Albuquerquians be on the lookout and if anyone else has had a recent Joss Whedon sighting let us know and we'll add it to the map.

Buffyfest Interviews Marvel Man and Whedon Fan, Arune Singh

We're not done with our SDCC wrap-up just yet! We still have interviews coming up with the faulous Anthony Stewart Head, Costumer Shawna Trpcic, even more from the entire crew at IDW including Scott Tipton and Mariah Huehner, and the cameras turned around when Buffyfest was interviewed by Brian Lynch for a twist. Fun stuff. Look out for all of that next week in part two of our SDCC wrap up.

To kick the second part off, check out our interview with a Marvel Executive who just happens to also be a hard core Whedon fan, Arune Singh. This was shot right on the SDCC convention center floor by the Marvel booth, just prior to The Avengers announcement. Good times. 

How cute is he? Big thanks to Arune for taking the time to speak to us in the middle of Marvel chaos.

And below, in place of our (sometimes) usual fanvid Sunday, check out our Bitsy (who is 5) display his loot from Comic Con. Trust me when I tell you, he'd rather skip a convention-center-quality-meal than pass on a toy Tardis. Priorities, people!

Video: Joss Whedon Announced as Director of 'The Avengers'

Here's the video of Joss Whedon being announced as the big cheese of 'The Avengers' after the star-studded cast was revealed on stage just a few hours ago. He looks so proud and excited, deservedly so.

Live Blogging the Marvel Panel

Ok, so at the exact time we were on line for Hall H someone got stabbed in the fucking eye, pardon my French, and I'm not going to lie: I got freaked out. There was chaos and gossip trickling down the long line and no one knew what to believe. Once we saw photos of the attacker getting arrested, I decided to talk to the SDCC green shirts who said the show *might* go on and if it did, it could be about 45 minutes late. Now I don't know why they would allow the panel to go on with blood still drying on the floor (hint: money already $pent), but we high tailed it to the Press Room anyway to check. Now we have learned that the panel is starting exactly on adjusted schedule and here we are. Actually, it's kind of peaceful in here.

Ok, here are the short panel details:

Chris Evans & Hugo Weaving are discussing Captain America. They're
showing clips. Now Kenneth Branagh, Chris Hemsworth & Natalie Portman &
Kat Dennings are here for Thor. More clips.

Uh Oh, Ed Norton Drama in the Q&A! The answer to that was "The Panel's
not over yet"

Samuel L. Jackson, Nick Fury, Announces in order:

Scarlet Johannson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr.,

RDJ says "Inception was the most Ambitious movie of the year. But then I
thought, Marvel Studios is going to take all the top Super heroes? Most
ambitious movie I've ever seen!"

RDJ goes on: The most important thing was that we found someone to helm
this film that you'd approve of..our director: Joss Whedon!

Joss: [He sounds hoarse, must be all that partying he did last night)

I had a dream, and it was NOT THIS GOOD. These are The Avengers. My
dream team! A team more than the sum of it's parts! More than I could
ever dream of working with.

I'm going to blow it, I'm not up to it, I'm very nervous...I need your
love and your support (applause) thank you, I feel better. We're done,
take care, see you soon!

Will have the video up shortly.

The Drama of 'The Avengers' so far: A Blogger's Tale

You'd have to have been living under a rock to not know what's been going on with the drama surrounding The Avengers this past week, but I feel like re-telling it (since we've been bogged down with our SDCC plans.) With pictures! Of boys in all in suits! Ok, let's do this:


Once there was a boy named Joss Whedon. He grew up to be a God amongst geeks (and some normal folk too!) All he needed was some mainstreaming gold because even though his cult worshiped him, he tended to put the kibosh on anything needing ratings higher than a network share of 3.0.

There was also a boy named Edward Norton. He went to Yale and grew up to be a famous A list actor. Then, he played The Incredible Hulk in a movie and allegedly caused some shit behind the scenes. They say he acted like a little bit of a douche but still wanted him for a sequel, maybe.

Next, a boy named Kevin Feige (he reads comic books all day) decided to take a bunch of ultra-famous actors and hulk-smash them all together for a movie called The Avengers. He decided to let Joss take the wheel of this blockbuster-in-waiting. He wouldn't tell anyone, though. See Kevin wasn't too good at this "people" thing. Drive fast Joss, mainstreaming gold ahead before things get all FOX-like and canceled!

So then, Joss had private, super secret, individual meetings with everyone in the cast of this Avengers team including "Nick Fury" Samuel L. Jackson, "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. and yes, even "The Hulk", Yale-bred little Eddie Norton. That last meeting went very well and both Ed and Joss decided with togetherness that Ed would once again be green and muscley for The Avengers. The world was bright and full of double rainbows for our Joss.

Then Kevin put the comics down for a second and said, you know what? Fuck that. Ed Norton's a douche, he's out and I'm going to tell the world about it (but still hold out about telling the world about Joss directing The Avengers...even though everyone. already. knows. I'm wacky like that.)

Poor Joss thought "Dammit! Why do I always get the kibosh? Is it time for me to make a Buffy movie now?"

So Ed Norton's agent said "Fuck this, it's Kevin Feige that's the douche, not my boy. I hope the movie turns out like Batman & Robin (the one with the Governator)." Hitfix.com had a lot of traffic that day.

Ed thought, "I'm going to bow out gracefully on Facebook, this Joss guy puts the kibosh on some things anyway, best to let someone else be green. Maybe that Bana guy." (note: did he type that with a typewriter and scan it and THEN put it on Facebook? WTF?)

So it seemed that it would all be over and quiet until the inevitable San Diego Comic Con announcement was made. But then...




Hold the phone!  Mark Ruffalo. Who knew he was 41 years old? Anyway, HE'S going to play The Incredible Hulk.

Or, maybe that nice Doctor, David Tennant. Would he make a fancy Hulk?

And then there's "Crazy Eyes" Joaquin Phoenix. HE'S going to be GREEN and crazy and bearded and rapping. Well, we'll know soon enough....

The End.

But not before I tell the tale of Josh Holloway vs. Nathan Fillion for the part of Ant-Man in The Avengers. I know who we want but hey, Holloway's part of the Whedonverse too! First vamp to ever grace Angel the Series. Go back and check your DVDs.

The Real End.

News of the Day - Joss To Direct 'The Avengers'

Marvel's upcoming film "The Avengers" is a blockbuster in the making amd now will be directed by our boy, Mr. Joss Whedon, thank you very much! "The Avengers" will potentially star Robert Downey Jr. (as Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Hemsworth (Thor) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury). Edward Norton may also return as the Hulk. Variety says Whedon will also rework thee film's script. Release date is May 4, 2012.

The Avengers, created by Comic Legend Stan Lee in 1963, are Labeled "Earth's Mightiest Heroes". They originally consisted of Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor, Iron Man, and The Hulk. Captain America joined in issue #4. The rotating roster has become a hallmark of the team, although one theme remains consistent: the Avengers fight the foes no single superhero can withstand — hence their battle cry, "Avengers Assemble!" The team has featured humans, mutants, robots, gods, aliens, supernatural beings, and even former villains.

So basically, nothing the dude's not used to. Congrats!

**Update** - Even though multiple people involved have commented on Whedon's involvement in The Avengers, nothing is confirmed as of yet. We'll keep you posted!