Joss Whedon confirms he will direct "Avengers"

SAN DIEGO (Hollywood Reporter) - Joss Whedon confirmed at Comic-Con on Thursday that he is, indeed, directing "The Avengers."

"It's not an official thing, I think because Marvel couldn't afford a press release," the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator said during a panel with fellow fanboy favorite J.J. Abrams. "So can we make that an official thing? I'm directing 'The Avengers.'"

The project is based on a Marvel comic all-star series that brought together Captain America, the Hulk and Iron Man, among others.

"I am still writing an outline. I'm still in that stage," Whedon said. "I will say the thing I love about it, the thing that made me excited to do it, is how counterintuitive it is. These people shouldn't be in the same room -- and that is the very definition of family."

During the fan Q&A, Whedon cited Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" reboot as a recent inspiration, while Abrams praised the upcoming "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World."

"'Scott Pilgrim' is awesome. I loved it," Abrams said. "This is the gold standard for a teen movie, a summer movie, for any movie that's come out the last few years."

The comic-book adaptation, starring Michael Cera of "Juno" fame, will be released on August 13 via Universal. Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz") directed.