Michael Buckner/Getty ImagesFinally! A director who's actually dying to do Star Wars!
For Joss Whedon, directing the next entry in George Lucas' venerable franchise would have been a dream job—and like any fanboy he would've jumped at the chance.
That's in contrast to J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird, who, while huge fans of the Force, both declined to helm Disney's forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VII for various good reasons, but seemed rather blasé about the opportunity.
Unfortunately, Whedon too had to bow out as he's already contracted to make the Avengers sequel, which as fate has it is scheduled to come out in summer 2015, the same time frame the Mouse House has targeted for Star Wars.
That reality has proven to be a bitter pill to swallow for the man who knows a thing or two about creating his own fantastical universe, having masterminded Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"I'm as angry as you should be," the 48-year-old Whedon told CNN about not being able to come aboard Star Wars. "When I heard that I was like, 'I wonder…no, I really can't do that. Oh, I already have a job.' I wouldn't clear The Avengers. I'm having so much fun with that sequel right now, just with the script, that I couldn't imagine not doing it."
Not only that, but the filmmaker says he has his work cut out for him developing S.H.I.E.L.D., an upcoming TV series for ABC focusing on Marvel's secret espionage agency that was seen in the Avengers.
"I'd forgotten how much work TV was so I'm cranky at everybody all the time," he said, though quick to add it's been "really fun."
And while Whedon may not be able to travel to a galaxy far, far away, he certainly has his thoughts on what he'd like to see in Episode VII.
"I'd like to see a little edge," said the helmer. "We all missed the Han [Solo] of it. It got very portentous, which was justified by the story, but I think we'd all like to see a little anarchy in the mix."
So far, rumors swirling around the Interwebs suggest X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn may get the Star Wars gig.
Last month, Abrams told Empire he was contacted early on about coming aboard the new saga, but said no out of loyalty to the Star Trek franchise. Bird was also said to be in the mix, but took himself out of the running due to a prior commitment directing George Clooney in the sci-fi epic 1952. And just yesterday, a rep for Zach Snyder denied his involvement on a separate Star Wars movie, saying he's too busy finishing up a post on Man of Steel and 300: Battle of Artemisia.