Many assume Joss Whedon will be back to direct THE AVENGERS 3, but there's no guarantee he will return for another film with the superhero team. There's a very good chance Whedon will helm THE AVENGERS 3, however as far as we know, he hasn't signed a deal for a third film yet.
But screenwriter Drew Pearce seems to think Joss Whedon is already a lock to direct THE AVENGERS 3. In an interview with Movies.com, Pearce was asked if the new One-Shot "All Hail the King" will have any impact on Marvel's Cinematic Universe, and while he couldn't reveal too many details, he may have accidently confirmed Joss Whedon for THE AVENGERS 3.
"Honestly, it's a question above my pay grade. One of the things when you're a writer or director in the Marvel universe is you come in, you leave some tasty morsels dangling at the end, and maybe you're the one who comes in and picks them up again next time, or maybe it's someone else, or maybe they just hang there awhile and that's fine too. Despite any cliffhanger-ness to the short, I also don't feel like it's unsatisfying. That's all you can really hope to do. Unless you're Joss [Whedon] and you're making Avengers 2 and 3, and then you have a pretty good idea if you're making the next one or not."
Maybe, like most of us, Drew Pearce expects Joss Whedon to return for THE AVENGERS 3, and doesn't actually know if he will direct another movie. But since he's involved with Marvel's films and not just a fan saying, "Dude, of course Whedon will be back. It's The f*cking Avengers!" he probably has a litter better idea of what's going on with Marvel.
Second unit filming for THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON just started this month, and the movie won't be hitting theaters until next year. You might be thinking, "What's the rush if THE AVENGERS 3 probably won't start filming until 2016 or even 2017?" but there is a ton of planning needed when it comes to Marvel's films, and the studio will likely want Joss Whedon back for another movie.
As we all know though, things can change and directors can get bored. Maybe Joss Whedon won't even want to direct another movie after completing work on THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, but if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on Whedon returning.
Joss Whedon's THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON will be released on May 1st, 2015.