5. Joss Whedon Is Finally Free To Do His Thing

It's been several months since the first Avengers movie was released to theaters to become the third-highest grossing movie of all time. In that time, we've seen the release of the Blu-Ray as well as announcements, leaks, and rumors for half of the Marvel movies that are set to come out over the next few years. If you started to get the feeling that this machine isn't showing any signs of slowing, then you're absolutely right. While the Avengers always felt like it was the end of an era, it's actually the beginning of something much bigger. As Nick Fury said "You've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet." While none of us could comprehend it at the time, what he was referring to wasn't limited to just a few crossovers or a joint-franchise event. It's a fundamental shift in the way movies are made. So far it's already been a success. The Avengers pulled in over $1.5 biillion at the box-office. To say nothing of the cash that it will rake in on merchandising and other product tie-ins. It's an incredibly high pay out on a bet that had never been successfully won before. Five movies were made prior to this year's blockbuster that all fed directly into the plot of this new one. As if that wasn't enough, the very first shots of The Avengers were already laying the seeds for Phase 2. This next set of movies will provide new blueprints and frameworks for how major motion pictures are produced for years to come. How is that, you ask? Well, let me tell you.This is a big deal, not only because Joss Whedon has a devoted fanbase that has always felt Buffy the Vampire Slayer is underrated and that Firefly deserved more seasons, but because he is a talented writer with more to bring to the screen than Fox producers realize. For example, as a completely for-fun project while working on the Avengers, Whedon self-produced a modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing. The original version was written by this little guy known as Shakespeare. Even in the Avengers, you can see that Whedon possesses a talent for writing that adds texture and substance to fleshed out characters. Arguably, it may be why the Avengers was so successful in the first place. Whedon has proven that you can do big-budget action without sacrificing on the basic elements of storytelling that push movies beyond popcorn flicks. Hopefully, alongside partner-in-crime Kevin Feige, Whedon can help set the bar for substance in superhero movies a little higher. Something the genre desperately needs.