Joss Whedon: Revenge Of The Nerd [Grierson & Leitch]

Five years ago, Joss Whedon’s career wasn’t going so well. The man behind the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel had recently written and directed Serenity, a big-screen version of his short-lived series Firefly. It was his feature directing debut, and it was a commercial disappointment. Not long after, Warner Bros. decided to part ways with Whedon on his big-screen version of Wonder Woman, ending a period that Whedon later said was a particularly rough one for him. “I in no way want this to be a slam on Warner Bros.,” he said in the summer of 2007, “but the fact of the matter is, [Wonder Woman] was a waste of my time.” He cited creative stagnation and unspecified personal issues that had contributed to his glum mood. He talked about wanting to get back into television: “I miss the quick turnaround. Get it done, get it out, every month or every week. Movies move glacially, and that’s really frustrating.” Arguably the king of Comic-Con culture, Whedon sounded defeated. More »