Corona | Coming Attractions

When you're a journalist and presented an opportunity to interview a celebrity out to promote their latest creative effort, but you know that there's a different future project they're working on that will get eyeballs to your story, you have to walk a fine line. Your primary mission is to talk about their latest effort, even if it's not of the same level of interest as the celebrity's Project B, but you also need to insert a question or two about that other thing that they've got going. I've been there myself a few times and it's always a weird problem to navigate.

Today's example of this situation comes from the reporter working for Vancouver's 24 Hours newspaper, a freebie that people in my town pick up during their morning commutes. Today's issue featured an interview with writer/director Joss Whedon who's in Toronto talking about Much Ado About Nothing, his micro-budgeted black-and-white movie that he shot directly after wrapping Avengers. It stars many of the crew that have worked with Whedon on his TV shows, like Firefly's Nathan Fillion and Sean Maher, Angel's Amy Acker and The Avengers' movie's own Agent Coulson, Clark Gregg.

While Whedon was there to talk about Much Ado About Nothing, of course the 23 Hours reporter had to ask about the progress of The Avengers 2. Hell, I would have done it too. And Whedon, because he's a good guy, answered with interest while also sneaking out a tiny bit of new information about where he might see the characters of Captain America, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow, Iron Man and Nick Fury headed in the next movie.

"The creation of the team is not the happy ending," Whedon told the paper. "It is the beginning of something that is complex and difficult, and now I get to dig a little deeper. And maybe, while I'm digging, just twist that knife. And that's exciting for me."

Whedon is known for escalating problems for his heroes. He did that through seven seasons on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, five with Angel and two with Dollhouse. If you're a recurring character on a Whedon show, take out the extra insurance.

He also talked about his role as the consultant of Marvel's Cinematic Universe and how he's approaching his job on the newly announced S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show for ABC. "Very talented people are writing and directing these movies, and what I don't want to be is the guy they dread, who's going to come in and say, 'Oh, well I have the power to say change this.' I'm not that."

Whedon also said that the two weeks that he shot Much Ado About Nothing -- right in the middle of editing and doing the post-production work on The Avengers -- was the best vacation he ever took in his life. "I came back so refreshed."

Now he gets to work for fun making The Avengers 2 as well as help out with ideas for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy movies. There might even be Ant-Man and Doctor Strange ones tossed in there, too.

Why did the person who maintains the official Facebook page for Vin Diesel recently upload two pieces of artwork to his Album showing Marvel's synthezoid hero, The Vision? It's gotten Diesel's fans wondering if the actor is sending a hint that he wants to be considered for the part of the character -- or is being considered -- (if The Vision turns up) in Avengers 2.

Joss Whedon will return to write the screenplay for and direct The Avengers 2.

The surprise announcement was made during a conference call with Disney CEO and Chariman Bob Iger. Iger also said that Whedon will play a creative role in shaping a proposed spinoff television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, set to air on ABC. [Full story]

It may be an off-the-cuff comment but it's the closest thing to an official confirmation so far that there will be an Avengers 2 movie.

"The Avengers isn't just a film," Robert Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company/parent company of Marvel Comics and The Avengers, said on MSNBC. "It's a franchise from our perspective. Obviously, it was helped a lot by the success of the Iron Man movies and of Thor and Captain America. From The Avengers we get a chance to make Thor 2 and Captain America 2 and Iron Man 3 and hopefully another Avengers movie. So this one film that is immensely successful... is going to get a number of other films and franchises." [Full story]