Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon[3] (born June 23, 1964) is an American screenwriter, film and television producer, director, comic book author, composer, and actor. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-founder of Bellwether Pictures. He is best known as the creator of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), Angel (1999–2004), Firefly (2002–2003), Dollhouse (2009–2010) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–present) as well as Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008). Whedon co-wrote Toy Story (1995), wrote and directed Serenity (2005), co-wrote and produced the horror film The Cabin in the Woods (2012), and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's The Avengers (2012),[4][5] the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Whedon is notable for his work in the comic books Astonishing X-Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics, Angel: After the Fall and Runaways, and his collaborations in online media. Many of Whedon's projects have cult status.[6]
The member of a family of screenwriters, he is the grandson of John Whedon, the son of Tom Whedon, and the brother of Zack Whedon and Jed Whedon. In May 2013, Whedon was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Wesleyan University.[7]