10 Films That Saved Directors From 'Movie Jail'

Joss Whedon is known for creating cult TV shows alongside helming multimillion dollar blockbusters for both Marvel and DC films, but for a period of time it looked unlikely he would ever work again.

Whedon had built a reputation as a successful screenwriter in the late '90s - with films ranging from Toy Story to Speed under his belt - before making the successful transition to beloved showrunner of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. However, it was the latter show which soured his relationship with certain sectors of the industry.

After a falling out between 20th Century Fox over the sci-fi show’s episode order, the subsequent cancellation of Firefly and the box office failure of the continuation film Serenity, Whedon's future in Hollywood looked uncertain.

This resulted in a noticeable gap between his directorial debut in 2005 and his next film in 2012, with only short-lived TV series Dollhouse to his name during this time. It was Marvel overlord Kevin Feige who decided to hire him to write and direct The Avengers, astutely noting Whedon was a director "on the verge of doing something great".

Needless to say that the global success of the Marvel crossover movie made him one of Hollywood's most bankable directors, even if this arguably may have been his creative peak.