Joss Whedon Says No Avengers 2 Without Robert Downey Jr., Vents Over Lack of Female Superheroes in Film

"I have no intention of making Avengers 2 without him," the director says of RDJ

Avengers 2 without Robert Downey Jr.?

Not going to happen. At least, according to Avengers director Joss Whedon, who sat down with The Daily Beast to discuss his upcoming film, Much Ado About Nothing, while also dishing on the sequel to the third highest-grossing film of all time.

Although RDJ has yet to officially sign on to the project, the 48-year-old producer says he can't imagine the flick without the Iron Man star, explaining how the actor is vital to the superhero role.

"He is Iron Man," Whedon said. "He is Iron Man in the way that Sean Connery was James Bond. I have no intention of making Avengers 2 without him, nor do I think I'll be called upon to do that. I don't think it's in my interest, Marvel's interest, or his interest, and I think everything will be fine." 

He continued, complimenting RDJ's casting and his embodiment of the character.

"But I know that this is Hollywood and you roll with things. You have to be ready for the unexpected," he admitted before gushing over the A-list star. "But I loved working with Robert, and everybody knows he embodied that role in a way no one else can. The day he was cast, I went up to [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige and said, 'You brilliant son of a bitch.'"

Whedon also expressed his frustration over the lack of female superheroes in film and gave his candid take on the double standard.

"Toymakers will tell you they won't sell enough, and movie people will point to the two terrible superheroine movies that were made and say, 'You see? It can't be done.' It's stupid," he explained. "And I'm hoping The Hunger Games will lead to a paradigm shift. It's frustrating to me that I don't see anybody developing one of these movies. It actually pisses me off; my daughter watched The Avengers and was like, "My favorite characters were the Black Widow and Maria Hill," and I thought, 'Yeah, of course they were.'"

And after The Avengers 2, Whedon says the female superhero concept could very well inspire his next project.

"Back to the female-hero thing, I'm not going to let nobody do it," he said. "It doesn't have to be me, but it could be."