With the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron now just a few months away, a lot of people are wondering what will be next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Avengers in particular. We already know that Robert Downey Jr. will be appearing in Captain America: Civil War in 2016 and that some new characters will be getting their own films including Black Panther and Doctor Strange. But even with these new solo films popping up, it was kind of assumed that Joss Whedon would continue to steer Marvel’s flagship series, eventually taking on the two-part The Avengers: Infinity War. However, it now sounds like he is getting burnt out on giant blockbusters and will likely step back to allow someone else to direct. Here’s what he had to say about it in a recent issue of Empire:

“I couldn’t imagine doing this again. It’s enormously hard, and it [will] be, by [the time I would make Avengers 3 & 4], a good five years since I created anything that was completely my own. So it’s very doubtful that I would take on the two-part Infinity War movie that would eat up the next four years of my life. I obviously still want to be a part of the Marvel Universe – I love these guys – but it ain’t easy. This year has been more like running three shows than any year of my life. It is bonkers.”

This coincides with previous rumours indicating that The Russo Brothers (Captain America: The First Avenger) will take the helm for The Avengers: Infinity War – Parts 1 and 2. What remains to be seen is whether or not Whedon will still stay on board as a writer and/or producer. Considering that most people feel that Whedon was primarily responsible for the success of the original Avengers movie, this would be a big loss. On the other hand, Whedon has already established the world and the characters and at this point Marvel is operating like a well-oiled machine. What do you think, is it cause for concern if Joss Whedon doesn’t return for The Avengers: Infinity War?