Joss Whedon Doesn't Want to Direct Avengers: Infinity War

Joss Whedon has achieved box office success and critical acclaim for his work on 2012's Avengers, but regardless of whether he manages to recreate that success with this year's Avengers: Age of Ultron, he has all but confirmed that he won't return for the two-part sequel, Avengers: Infinity War.

In the new issue of Empire, which also includes new stills from Avengers: Age of Ultron, Whedon is quoted as saying:

"I couldn't imagine doing this again. It's enormously hard, and it [would be] 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."

This statement doesn't add up to anything official, but he sounds fairly certain that he's not interested in the project, which lends credence to the rumors that the Russo brothers are in talks to take over for Avengers: Infinity War. This is slightly disappointing news, as Whedon did a great job adding his signature witty banter to Avengers and, judging from the promotional materials, has been able to explore darker, loftier themes in Avengers: Age of Ultron. But as a huge Whedonite myself, I can't help but be a little relieved. The Russo brothers proved themselves more than capable with their work on Captain America: Winter Soldier, and Whedon will then be free to use his original voice without being hampered by the expectations of comics fans and huge studios.

Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out on May 1, while the two parts of Avengers: Infinity War will come out in May 2018 and May 2019, respectively.