Joss Whedon Thrills Nerds With Secret Shakespeare

Joss Whedon, the fanboy Fanboy King, was handed the opportunity of a lifetime with "The Avengers," a massive tentpole that Marvel has been prepping for about four movies now. (Seriously, why was all that Nick Fury stuff in "Iron Man 2" again? Get out of the way, Sam L., we're trying to watch a Tony Stark movie here.) You would think he'd be so wrapped up in putting that thing together that the only leisure time activity he'd have time for would be sleep, and maybe also a couple "ST:TNG" marathons. But nope: Apparently he made another movie.

It's, bewilderingly, a modern-day adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing," and it stars the usual staple of Whedon actors: Nathan Fillion, Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, the smattering of actors you don't know unless you're invited up into Whedon's clubhouse. (It also has Clark Gregg, Agent Coulson from the Marvel "Avengers" universe, since he must have had a couple seconds just off set.)

There's now an official Web site and a cast list and all sorts of speculation for a movie that we'll bet dollars to donuts never makes it to multiplexes. Someday Joss Whedon is going to Tweet out a link to a flipbook starring Fillion wearing various spaceman costumes and holding a random assortment of farm animals, and we'll have to write a post about that, too. If this is dull for you -- and we'll be honest, it's a little dull for us -- well, hey, look, here's "The Avengers" trailer again! Wee!

Much Ado The Movie [Official Site]