Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon (/ˈhwiːdən/; born June 23, 1964) is an American screenwriter, film and television director, film and television producer, comic book author, composer and actor. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), Angel (1999–2004), Firefly (2002), Dollhouse (2009–10) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–present). Whedon co-wrote Toy Story (1995), wrote and directed Serenity (2005), co-wrote and produced The Cabin in the Woods (2012), and wrote and directed The Avengers (2012), the third highest-grossing film of all time, and its upcoming sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Whedon is notable for his signature dialogue, which features dry self-referential humor and heavy emphasis on subtext. His work is permeated with themes of feminism, anti-authoritarianism, existentialism, and self-sacrifice. He often uses misogyny to define the trait of a villain, and his protagonists tend to be loner heroes who start out powerless but then regain control from community in order to fulfill a purpose. His work in comic books includes Fray, Astonishing X-Men, Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel: After the Fall and Runaways. He is also known for his collaborations in online media. Many of Whedon's projects have cult status. From a family of screenwriters, he is the grandson of John Whedon, the son of Tom Whedon, and the half brother of Zack and Jed Whedon. In May 2013, Whedon was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from Wesleyan University.