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** AmyAcker (''Angel'') and AlanTudyk (''Firefly'') both resurfaced on ''Dollhouse'' after the demise of their respective shows.
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** AmyAcker (''Angel'') and AlanTudyk (''Firefly'') both resurfaced on ''Dollhouse'' after the demise of their respective shows. Acker would later be cast in ''The Cabin in the Woods''.
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*** [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], Whedon stated he's actually alive and Fury lied to get the Avengers to pull their act together.]]
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* ''AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' (early scripting, some work on later drafts)
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* ''TheCabinInTheWoods''
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* ''TheCabinInTheWoods''''TheCabinInTheWoods'' (with Drew Goddard)
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* BrainwashedAndCrazy: River, Drusilla, Alpha, [[spoler:Hawkeye]].
to:
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: River, Drusilla, Alpha, [[spoler:Hawkeye]].[[spoiler:Hawkeye]].
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** [[MutantDraftBoard Mysterious organizations who recruit people with special talent]] (The Watchers Council, Blue Suns, The Academy, Wolfram & Hart)
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** [[MutantDraftBoard Mysterious organizations who recruit people with special talent]] (The Watchers Council, Blue Suns, The Academy, Wolfram & Hart)Hart, SHIELD)
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** BadassNormal: Xander
** BadassLongcoat: Angel, Spike, Mal
** BadassLongcoat: Angel, Spike, Mal
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** BadassNormal: Xander
Xander, Black Widow, Hawkeye
** BadassLongcoat: Angel, Spike,MalMal, Nick Fury
** BadassLongcoat: Angel, Spike,
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** BadassCrew: Crew of ''Serenity'', the Scooby Gang, Team Angel
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** BadassCrew: Crew of ''Serenity'', the Scooby Gang, Team AngelAngel, The Avengers
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* BrainwashedAndCrazy: River, Drusilla, Alpha.
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* BrainwashedAndCrazy: River, Drusilla, Alpha.Alpha, [[spoler:Hawkeye]].
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* Very potentially, TV Trope's favorite director.
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** ''Film/TheAvengers'': [[spoiler: Agent Coulson.]]
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* PhraseCatcher: Joss Whedon, you Bastard!
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* ''[[Film.TheAvengers Avengers]]''
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* ''[[Film.TheAvengers The Avengers]]''
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'''Whedon''': Yeah, [[IWillShowYouX I've got your historical perspective]].\\
* ParentalAbandonment
* ParentalAbandonment
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'''Whedon''': Yeah, [[IWillShowYouX I've got your historical perspective]].\\
* ParentalAbandonment
* ParentalAbandonment
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-->'''IGNFF''': Is the presentation ever going to make it to DVD?\\'''Whedon''': Not while there is strength in these bones.\\
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'''Whedon''': Not while there is strength in these bones.\\
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* OldShame: The unaired ''Buffy'' pilot. It's on Youtube if anyone's interested. Also, the film.
** Whedon was asked by IGN Film Force in June 2003 about the unaired presentation:
-->'''IGNFF''': Is the presentation ever going to make it to DVD?\\'''Whedon''': Not while there is strength in these bones.\\
'''IGNFF''': Well, I mean, it's one of the most heavily bootlegged things on the Internet.\\
'''Whedon''': Yeah. It sucks on ass.\\
'''IGNFF''': Yeah, it does, but it's sort of that archival, historical perspective...\\
'''Whedon''': Yeah, [[IWillShowYouX I've got your historical perspective]].\\
** Whedon was asked by IGN Film Force in June 2003 about the unaired presentation:
-->'''IGNFF''': Is the presentation ever going to make it to DVD?\\'''Whedon''': Not while there is strength in these bones.\\
'''IGNFF''': Well, I mean, it's one of the most heavily bootlegged things on the Internet.\\
'''Whedon''': Yeah. It sucks on ass.\\
'''IGNFF''': Yeah, it does, but it's sort of that archival, historical perspective...\\
'''Whedon''': Yeah, [[IWillShowYouX I've got your historical perspective]].\\
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** Mysterious organizations who recruit people with special talent (The Watchers Council, Blue Suns, The Academy, Wolfram & Hart)
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** [[MutantDraftBoard Mysterious organizations who recruit people with special talent talent]] (The Watchers Council, Blue Suns, The Academy, Wolfram & Hart)
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Best-known for ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''{{Dollhouse}}'', the famously-canceled cult hit ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and [[TheMovie its motion picture]], ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', and ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
to:
Best-known for ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''{{Dollhouse}}'', the famously-canceled cult hit ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and [[TheMovie its motion picture]], ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', and ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
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----
to:
----
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* ''[[TitanAE Titan A.E.]]''
to:
* ''[[TitanAE Titan A.E.]]'']]'' (most of it)
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->''"Always be yourself... unless you suck."''
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->''"Always be yourself... [[BaitAndSwitchComment unless you suck.suck]]."''
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Best-known for ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''{{Dollhouse}}'', the famously-canceled cult hit ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and [[TheMovie its motion picture]], ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', and ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
to:
Best-known for ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''{{Dollhouse}}'', the famously-canceled cult hit ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and [[TheMovie its motion picture]], ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', and ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
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** ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** ''{{Angel}}''
** ''{{Firefly}}''
** ''{{Angel}}''
** ''{{Firefly}}''
to:
** ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
**''{{Angel}}''
''Series/{{Angel}}''
**''{{Firefly}}''''Series/{{Firefly}}''
**
**
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* ''[[{{Angel}} Angel After The Fall]]''
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* ''[[{{Angel}} ''[[Series/{{Angel}} Angel After The Fall]]''
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* CreatorCameo: [[{{Angel}} Numfar! Do the dance of joy!]] He's also made two self-inserts in the ''Buffy'' comics line.
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* CreatorCameo: [[{{Angel}} [[Series/{{Angel}} Numfar! Do the dance of joy!]] He's also made two self-inserts in the ''Buffy'' comics line.
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** [[spoiler:Giles was recently killed in the Season 8 Buffy comics. When asked why, Whedon said]], "I wanted to make all this matter and have something that would send emotional ripples through all the characters. Also, I’m a prick."
to:
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* ''The Cabin In The Woods'': Not much is known about it, it's finished but they decided to have it converted to 3D for whatever reason, so it got delayed a year. Oh, and due to the poster and website, it's safe to say that EvilDead jokes have already been made.
to:
* ''The Cabin In The Woods'': Not much is known about it, it's finished but they decided to have it converted to 3D for whatever reason, so it got delayed a year. Oh, and due to the poster and website, it's safe to say that EvilDead jokes have already been made.
''TheCabinInTheWoods''
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** [[spoiler: Kitty Pryde]] during his run on ''Astonishing X-Men''. Particularly shocking, considering how much he loved the character ([[spoiler: she's often cited as an inspiration for Buffy]]). [[ComicBookDeath Obviously, another writer undid it]]. But still...
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* PutOnABus: Numerous characters, but most notably [[spoiler: Kitty Pryde]] during his run on ''Astonishing X-Men''. Particularly shocking, considering how much he loved the character ([[spoiler: she's often cited as an inspiration for Buffy]]). [[ComicBookDeath Obviously, another writer undid it]]. But still...
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* ProductionPosse: Some actors achieved a "hat trick" of appearing as [[YouLookFamiliar]] different characters in all three of his series. The most notable of these actors is Jonathan M. Woodward. Not only did Woodward appear in all three of Whedon's shows(Holden Webster in ''Buffy''; Knox in ''Angel'' and Tracy in ''Firefly''), his character died in each instance.
to:
* ProductionPosse: Some actors achieved a "hat trick" of appearing as [[YouLookFamiliar]] [[YouLookFamiliar different characters characters]] in all three of his series. The most notable of these actors is Jonathan M. Woodward. Not only did Woodward appear in all three of Whedon's shows(Holden Webster in ''Buffy''; Knox in ''Angel'' and Tracy in ''Firefly''), his character died in each instance.
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* ActingForTwo: Or three. Or four. Several actors played different characters between ''Buffy'' and ''Angel''. Some actors also achieved a "hat trick" of appearing as different characters in three of his series. The most notable of these actors is Jonathan M. Woodward. Not only did Woodward appear in all three of Whedon's shows(Holden Webster in ''Buffy''; Knox in ''Angel'' and Tracy in ''Firefly''), his character died in each instance.
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* ProductionPosse: Joss has a stable of "hat trick" actors who appear in most of his shows. Carlos Jacott, best known for [[spoiler:shooting Bill Henrickson]] in the finale of ''BigLove'', played the smarmy villain Ken in the ''Buffy'' episode "Anne". He would later appear on ''Angel'' ("Bachelor Party") and ''Firefly'' ("Serenity").
** Same goes for Jonathan Woodward, first seen as vampire shrink Holden Webster ("Conversations With Dead People"). He went on to play Knox on Angel, and a lively 'corpse' on Firefly ("The Message"). All three characters seem helpful at first, but are later killed by the protagonists when revealed to be more sinister.
*** However, Holden could prove to be a subversion. Initially, he appears to be just another deadly vampire for Buffy to dust, but after he reveals that they went to school together, the two spend the rest of the episode varying between fighting and discussing Buffy's issues. While lacking a soul, forcing Buffy to slay him, Holden did leave a more favorable impression on Buffy by the episode's conclusion.
** Same goes for Jonathan Woodward, first seen as vampire shrink Holden Webster ("Conversations With Dead People"). He went on to play Knox on Angel, and a lively 'corpse' on Firefly ("The Message"). All three characters seem helpful at first, but are later killed by the protagonists when revealed to be more sinister.
*** However, Holden could prove to be a subversion. Initially, he appears to be just another deadly vampire for Buffy to dust, but after he reveals that they went to school together, the two spend the rest of the episode varying between fighting and discussing Buffy's issues. While lacking a soul, forcing Buffy to slay him, Holden did leave a more favorable impression on Buffy by the episode's conclusion.
to:
* ProductionPosse: Joss has Some actors achieved a stable of "hat trick" of appearing as [[YouLookFamiliar]] different characters in all three of his series. The most notable of these actors who is Jonathan M. Woodward. Not only did Woodward appear in most all three of Whedon's shows(Holden Webster in ''Buffy''; Knox in ''Angel'' and Tracy in ''Firefly''), his shows. character died in each instance.
** Carlos Jacott, best known for [[spoiler:shooting Bill Henrickson]] in the finale of ''BigLove'', played the smarmy villain Ken in the ''Buffy'' episode "Anne". He would later appear on ''Angel'' ("Bachelor Party") and ''Firefly'' ("Serenity"). \n** Same goes for Jonathan Woodward, first seen as vampire shrink Holden Webster ("Conversations With Dead People"). He went on to play Knox on Angel, and a lively 'corpse' on Firefly ("The Message"). All three characters seem helpful at first, but are later killed by the protagonists when revealed to be more sinister.\n*** However, Holden could prove to be a subversion. Initially, he appears to be just another deadly vampire for Buffy to dust, but after he reveals that they went to school together, the two spend the rest of the episode varying between fighting and discussing Buffy's issues. While lacking a soul, forcing Buffy to slay him, Holden did leave a more favorable impression on Buffy by the episode's conclusion.
** Carlos Jacott, best known for [[spoiler:shooting Bill Henrickson]] in the finale of ''BigLove'', played the smarmy villain Ken in the ''Buffy'' episode "Anne". He would later appear on ''Angel'' ("Bachelor Party") and ''Firefly'' ("Serenity").
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** Both AdamBaldwin and Gina Torres were salvaged from ''Firefly'' to play villains on ''Angel''. (Morena Baccarin was also slated to appear, but Fox execs nixed the idea.) And, of course, NathanFillion was a recurring villain in ''Buffy'''s last season.
to:
** Both AdamBaldwin and Gina Torres were salvaged from ''Firefly'' to play villains on ''Angel''. (Morena Morena Baccarin was also slated to appear, appear (also as a baddie), but Fox execs [[ExecutiveVeto nixed the idea.) idea]]. And, of course, NathanFillion was a recurring villain in ''Buffy'''s last season.
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** Andy Umberger was D'Hoffryn on ''Buffy'', a crazy psychosurgeon on ''Angel'', and an Alliance Captain on ''Firefly''.
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** Andy Umberger was D'Hoffryn on ''Buffy'', a crazy psychosurgeon on ''Angel'', and an Alliance Captain on ''Firefly''.in the ''Firefly'' pilot.
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* YouLookFamiliar: Joss is fond of reusing actors across his shows.
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*** However, Holden could prove to be a subversion. Initially, he appears to be just another deadly vampire for Buffy to dust, but after he reveals that they went to school together, the two spend the rest of the episode varying between fighting and discussing Buffy's issues. While lacking a soul, forcing Buffy to slay him, Holden did leave a more favorable impression on Buffy by the episode's conclusion.
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* BetterThanABareBulb: The source of much Whedon comedy.
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* AuthorAppeal: He likes to give some of his characters English accents like The Watchers, Spike, Adelle, and that [[{{Firefly}} Badger]] fellow.
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* AuthorAppeal: He likes Likes to give some a few of his characters English accents (Joss attended school in Britain), like The Watchers, Spike, Adelle, and that [[{{Firefly}} Badger]] fellow.
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the problem wasnt the script itself, it was the fact that they treated a camp script as legitimate horror.
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* ''Film/{{Alien}}: Resurrection'' (apparently the experience was so bad that he sheds tears when asked about it - even though the script he wrote was largely unchanged when filming started)
to:
* ''Film/{{Alien}}: Resurrection'' (apparently the experience was so bad that he sheds tears when asked about it - even though apparently due to the script he wrote was largely unchanged when filming started)being written as a camp parody, but treated as a genuine horror/action film.)
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* ''The Cabin In The Woods''
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* ''The Cabin In The Woods''''TheCabinInTheWoods''
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joss-whedon1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:This man will kill your nerd crushes. [[hottip:* :Well, first he'll make them, ''then'' he'll kill them.]] ]]
->''"Always be yourself... unless you suck."''
-->--'''Joss Whedon'''
Joseph Hill Whedon (born 1964) is a scriptwriter, director, cameo actor, television producer through his famed MutantEnemy production company, {{comic book}} author, and as of the live movie-theater broadcast of ThisAmericanLife a singer. Joss comes from a family of talented writers, and is one of the first ''third''-generation television writers.
Best-known for ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''{{Dollhouse}}'', the famously-canceled cult hit ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and [[TheMovie its motion picture]], ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', and ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
Whedon's characters and scripts are famous among his fans for containing a dry, caustic wit. He can be counted on to do something completely unexpected in every new series. In ''Buffy'', he listed a regular guest-star in the opening credits for the first time -- only to kill her off in that very episode. He also gets a lot of praise from feminists for his strong female characters.
Whedon delights in defying the audience's expectations, for example, rather than killing a major character, he'll kill off a lesser-known but much more endearing character. In the DVD commentary for ''Serenity'', Whedon explains that he likes doing such things because people ''expect'' the hero to die or be horribly injured at some point during the production -- but they ''don't'' expect the minor characters to die, so the impact is much greater. Unfortunately, at this point he's [[SignatureStyle done this so often]] that nobody ''expects'' the characters they like to live.
Not to be confused with JossStone.
----
!!TropeNamer for:
* AppliedPhlebotinum
* {{Jossed}}
!!List of Works
[[AC:Films written:]]
* TheMovie of ''[[Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy The Vampire Slayer]]''
* ''Film/{{Speed}}'' (script doctored by Whedon; Graham Yost, the only credited writer, has said most of the film's dialogue is Whedon's. Which makes sense, because the lines in the film carry the trademark sarcastic humor that Whedon later became famous for.)
* ''{{Waterworld}}'' (script doctored by)
* ''{{Twister}}'' (script doctored by)
* ''ToyStory'' (with seven other writers, nominated for [[AcademyAward Oscar]])
* ''Film/{{Alien}}: Resurrection'' (apparently the experience was so bad that he sheds tears when asked about it - even though the script he wrote was largely unchanged when filming started)
* ''[[TitanAE Titan A.E.]]''
* ''Film/{{X-Men}}'' (one of five uncredited writers; only two bits of dialogue are actually his, only one of which was done the way he intended. The storyline for ''X3: The Last Stand'' also adapted several elements and plot points from his run on ''AstonishingXMen'')
* ''Film/{{Serenity}}''
* ''The Cabin In The Woods''
* ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' (One of four credited writers, his main role being to make connections to [[Film.TheAvengers his other film]] and help find the character's voice)
* ''[[Film.TheAvengers The Avengers]]''
* A new adaptation of ''MuchAdoAboutNothing'' that he apparently made at his house just recently in the midst of shooting ''TheAvengers''.
[[AC:Films directed:]]
* ''Film/{{Serenity}}''
* ''[[Film.TheAvengers Avengers]]''
* ''MuchAdoAboutNothing''
[[AC:Films Produced:]]
* ''The Cabin In The Woods'': Not much is known about it, it's finished but they decided to have it converted to 3D for whatever reason, so it got delayed a year. Oh, and due to the poster and website, it's safe to say that EvilDead jokes have already been made.
[[AC:Television Work:]]
* [[AC: As Creator/Executive Producer/Director]]
** ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** ''{{Angel}}''
** ''{{Firefly}}''
** ''{{Dollhouse}}''
* [[AC:As Writer/Guest Writer:]]
** ''{{Roseanne}}''
** ''Series/{{Parenthood}}'' (The 1990 version)
* [[AC: As Director:]]
** ''TheOffice'' ("Business School" and "Branch Wars")
** ''{{Glee}}'' ("Dream On")
* [[AC: As Actor]]
** VeronicaMars (Douglas the car rental office boss in "Rat Saw God")
[[AC:Comics written:]]
* ''{{Runaways}}''
* ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight]]''
* ''[[{{Angel}} Angel After The Fall]]''
* ''[[Comicbook/{{X-Men}} Astonishing X-Men]]''
* ''{{Fray}}''
[[AC:WebOriginal projects:]]
* [[DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]
One warning - when approaching his work, whatever the medium, expect [[TrueArtIsAngsty angst]]. [[{{Wangst}} Lots and]] [[DeusAngstMachina lots of]] [[DiabolusExMachina angst]]. [[AngstDissonance Even when it's a really]], ''[[AngstDissonance really]]'' [[AngstDissonance bad idea]]. And even after, or in the midst of, [[CerebusSyndrome a previously comic storyline or situation]]. And don't get attached to anyone, because [[TonightSomeoneDies they're going to die in the name of "dramatic value"]]. [[TheFireflyEffect But only if]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork the network doesn't]] [[FridayNightDeathSlot do it first]].
Also, be prepared for [[TropeOverdosed more tropes than you can shake a stick at]].
----
!!This director's work contains examples of:
* AbusiveParents / ParentalAbandonment: A staple of the Jossverse, sometimes lampooned. For the Freudians out there, Joss' parents split before he turned 10.
* ActingForTwo: Or three. Or four. Several actors played different characters between ''Buffy'' and ''Angel''. Some actors also achieved a "hat trick" of appearing as different characters in three of his series. The most notable of these actors is Jonathan M. Woodward. Not only did Woodward appear in all three of Whedon's shows(Holden Webster in ''Buffy''; Knox in ''Angel'' and Tracy in ''Firefly''), his character died in each instance.
* ActionGirl: Very common. Though Whedon himself doesn't think this should even be a trope. He once recounted how interviewers always ask why he writes so many strong, competent female characters, saying he always wants to yell at them about why they aren't asking every other writer why they ''don't'' write these kinds of character.
* AnyoneCanDie:
** Buffy/Angel: [[spoiler:Jesse, Jenny Calendar, Doyle, Tara]], Anya, Lilah (sorta), Cordelia, Fred, Wesley, Lindsey. Not to mention Buffy herself. Twice. And Angel, come to think of it. And Spike.
** [[spoiler:Giles was recently killed in the Season 8 Buffy comics. When asked why, Whedon said]], "I wanted to make all this matter and have something that would send emotional ripples through all the characters. Also, I’m a prick."
** ''Firefly''/''Serenity'': [[spoiler:Shepherd Book, Wash]].
** ''Dollhouse'': [[spoiler:Topher Brink, Boyd Langton, Paul Ballard, Mellie!November, and Bennett Halverson]]. And considering the Epitaphs, quite possibly everyone you don't see, like [[spoiler:Ivy]]. This trope is also subverted), in that [[spoiler:Victor and Sierra]] actually live - most fans expected at least one to die.
** ''Dr Horrible'': [[spoiler:Penny.]]
** ''TitanAE'': [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with [[spoiler: Gune]], played brutally straight with [[spoiler: Korso and Preed]], hinted at with [[spoiler: Cale's father.]]
** [[spoiler: Kitty Pryde]] during his run on ''Astonishing X-Men''. Particularly shocking, considering how much he loved the character ([[spoiler: she's often cited as an inspiration for Buffy]]). [[ComicBookDeath Obviously, another writer undid it]]. But still...
* AuthorAppeal: He likes to give some of his characters English accents like The Watchers, Spike, Adelle, and that [[{{Firefly}} Badger]] fellow.
** People with mental illness shows up in a lot of his shows.
** And [[FootFocus feet]].
** [[YuriFan Tends to turn]] [[LesYay his female characters into]] [[SchoolgirlLesbians lesbians]], if they weren't already.
** Likes to name his characters after objects (Willow, River, Angel, Spike, Faith, Book and Dawn)
** Mysterious organizations who recruit people with special talent (The Watchers Council, Blue Suns, The Academy, Wolfram & Hart)
* {{Badass}}: Many kinds of badass.
** BadassAdorable: Willow, Fred, Kaylee
** BadassNormal: Xander
** BadassLongcoat: Angel, Spike, Mal
** BadassBookworm: Wesley, Giles, Simon, and arguably Shepard Book (how ''does'' a preacher know so much about crime?)
** CulturedBadass: Inara Serra, Rupert Giles
** LittleMissBadass: River, Buffy, the Slayer Army, Echo
** BadassCrew: Crew of ''Serenity'', the Scooby Gang, Team Angel
** BadassPreacher: They call him a shepherd, but that's what Book is.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: River, Drusilla, Alpha.
* BuffySpeak: While he didn't invent it, Joss and his shows had a big hand in changing the way TV and movie characters talk, especially white teenagers. This isn't because he likes it so much as it's how he speaks.
* BuryYourGays
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: The man adores negative space.
* CreatorCameo: [[{{Angel}} Numfar! Do the dance of joy!]] He's also made two self-inserts in the ''Buffy'' comics line.
* DeusAngstMachina, DiabolusExMachina, usually combined with TooHappyToLive below.
* FootFocus: Before there was River, there was Dawn. ...And Fred. And Eve. And Lilah. (Wesley even serves as AuthorAvatar on that one.)
** Notably, both Summer Glau and Michelle Trachtenberg have a background in ballet, which was incorporated into their roles. The former played a ghost ballerina on ''Angel'', while the latter got a dance sequence all to herself in the MusicalEpisode.
* HollywoodAtheist: Malcolm Reynolds is deeply bitter against God/Christianity after losing a war. NathanFillion himself stated that Mal is actually a NayTheist who's pissed off after the Serenity Valley.
* ICallItVera: "Mutant Enemy" was originally the name of his typewriter in school.
* KillTheCutie: Joss Whedon is a sick, sick man.
* MoodWhiplash: All. The. Time.
* ParentalAbandonment
* ProductionPosse: Joss has a stable of "hat trick" actors who appear in most of his shows. Carlos Jacott, best known for [[spoiler:shooting Bill Henrickson]] in the finale of ''BigLove'', played the smarmy villain Ken in the ''Buffy'' episode "Anne". He would later appear on ''Angel'' ("Bachelor Party") and ''Firefly'' ("Serenity").
** Same goes for Jonathan Woodward, first seen as vampire shrink Holden Webster ("Conversations With Dead People"). He went on to play Knox on Angel, and a lively 'corpse' on Firefly ("The Message"). All three characters seem helpful at first, but are later killed by the protagonists when revealed to be more sinister.
** AmyAcker (''Angel'') and AlanTudyk (''Firefly'') both resurfaced on ''Dollhouse'' after the demise of their respective shows.
** Both AdamBaldwin and Gina Torres were salvaged from ''Firefly'' to play villains on ''Angel''. (Morena Baccarin was also slated to appear, but Fox execs nixed the idea.) And, of course, NathanFillion was a recurring villain in ''Buffy'''s last season.
** Gnarl, the Gentleman, the Ubervamp, and the Prince of Lies were all the same guy: Camden Toy.
** Andy Umberger was D'Hoffryn on ''Buffy'', a crazy psychosurgeon on ''Angel'', and an Alliance Captain on ''Firefly''.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Arguably considered the TropeCodifier by many, the most notable of this being ''{{Firefly}}''.
* StrawMisogynist: At least one in each of his television shows. Even for the short-lived ''{{Firefly}}''. And as to be expected, they all [[LaserGuidedKarma suffer violent deaths]] at the hands of [[ActionGirl women]].
* StuffedInTheFridge: This guy has more people in his fridge than [[SerialKiller Jeffrey Dahmer]], one of the biggest kill counts in TV history. When [[NeilPatrickHarris someone]] asked him why he killed off so many women, he replied "[[CrowningMomentOfFunny My personal life is not on trial here!]]"
* TooHappyToLive: Everything Whedon writes. If fans see a happy character, they know bad things are coming. Funnily enough, this happened to an entire series (''{{Firefly}})'' for Whedon.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen
* WaifFu: He's very fond of this.
* YouLookFamiliar: Joss is fond of reusing actors across his shows.
!!Joss Whedon himself is an example of:
* FamilyBusiness: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Whedon Members]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Whedon of]] the Whedon family have been writing for television practically since the medium's inception, and then, of course, there are his brothers.
* SelfDeprecation
* TeasingCreator
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[[caption-width-right:350:This man will kill your nerd crushes. [[hottip:* :Well, first he'll make them, ''then'' he'll kill them.]] ]]
->''"Always be yourself... unless you suck."''
-->--'''Joss Whedon'''
Joseph Hill Whedon (born 1964) is a scriptwriter, director, cameo actor, television producer through his famed MutantEnemy production company, {{comic book}} author, and as of the live movie-theater broadcast of ThisAmericanLife a singer. Joss comes from a family of talented writers, and is one of the first ''third''-generation television writers.
Best-known for ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''{{Dollhouse}}'', the famously-canceled cult hit ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and [[TheMovie its motion picture]], ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', and ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.
Whedon's characters and scripts are famous among his fans for containing a dry, caustic wit. He can be counted on to do something completely unexpected in every new series. In ''Buffy'', he listed a regular guest-star in the opening credits for the first time -- only to kill her off in that very episode. He also gets a lot of praise from feminists for his strong female characters.
Whedon delights in defying the audience's expectations, for example, rather than killing a major character, he'll kill off a lesser-known but much more endearing character. In the DVD commentary for ''Serenity'', Whedon explains that he likes doing such things because people ''expect'' the hero to die or be horribly injured at some point during the production -- but they ''don't'' expect the minor characters to die, so the impact is much greater. Unfortunately, at this point he's [[SignatureStyle done this so often]] that nobody ''expects'' the characters they like to live.
Not to be confused with JossStone.
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!!TropeNamer for:
* AppliedPhlebotinum
* {{Jossed}}
!!List of Works
[[AC:Films written:]]
* TheMovie of ''[[Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy The Vampire Slayer]]''
* ''Film/{{Speed}}'' (script doctored by Whedon; Graham Yost, the only credited writer, has said most of the film's dialogue is Whedon's. Which makes sense, because the lines in the film carry the trademark sarcastic humor that Whedon later became famous for.)
* ''{{Waterworld}}'' (script doctored by)
* ''{{Twister}}'' (script doctored by)
* ''ToyStory'' (with seven other writers, nominated for [[AcademyAward Oscar]])
* ''Film/{{Alien}}: Resurrection'' (apparently the experience was so bad that he sheds tears when asked about it - even though the script he wrote was largely unchanged when filming started)
* ''[[TitanAE Titan A.E.]]''
* ''Film/{{X-Men}}'' (one of five uncredited writers; only two bits of dialogue are actually his, only one of which was done the way he intended. The storyline for ''X3: The Last Stand'' also adapted several elements and plot points from his run on ''AstonishingXMen'')
* ''Film/{{Serenity}}''
* ''The Cabin In The Woods''
* ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' (One of four credited writers, his main role being to make connections to [[Film.TheAvengers his other film]] and help find the character's voice)
* ''[[Film.TheAvengers The Avengers]]''
* A new adaptation of ''MuchAdoAboutNothing'' that he apparently made at his house just recently in the midst of shooting ''TheAvengers''.
[[AC:Films directed:]]
* ''Film/{{Serenity}}''
* ''[[Film.TheAvengers Avengers]]''
* ''MuchAdoAboutNothing''
[[AC:Films Produced:]]
* ''The Cabin In The Woods'': Not much is known about it, it's finished but they decided to have it converted to 3D for whatever reason, so it got delayed a year. Oh, and due to the poster and website, it's safe to say that EvilDead jokes have already been made.
[[AC:Television Work:]]
* [[AC: As Creator/Executive Producer/Director]]
** ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** ''{{Angel}}''
** ''{{Firefly}}''
** ''{{Dollhouse}}''
* [[AC:As Writer/Guest Writer:]]
** ''{{Roseanne}}''
** ''Series/{{Parenthood}}'' (The 1990 version)
* [[AC: As Director:]]
** ''TheOffice'' ("Business School" and "Branch Wars")
** ''{{Glee}}'' ("Dream On")
* [[AC: As Actor]]
** VeronicaMars (Douglas the car rental office boss in "Rat Saw God")
[[AC:Comics written:]]
* ''{{Runaways}}''
* ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight]]''
* ''[[{{Angel}} Angel After The Fall]]''
* ''[[Comicbook/{{X-Men}} Astonishing X-Men]]''
* ''{{Fray}}''
[[AC:WebOriginal projects:]]
* [[DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]
One warning - when approaching his work, whatever the medium, expect [[TrueArtIsAngsty angst]]. [[{{Wangst}} Lots and]] [[DeusAngstMachina lots of]] [[DiabolusExMachina angst]]. [[AngstDissonance Even when it's a really]], ''[[AngstDissonance really]]'' [[AngstDissonance bad idea]]. And even after, or in the midst of, [[CerebusSyndrome a previously comic storyline or situation]]. And don't get attached to anyone, because [[TonightSomeoneDies they're going to die in the name of "dramatic value"]]. [[TheFireflyEffect But only if]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork the network doesn't]] [[FridayNightDeathSlot do it first]].
Also, be prepared for [[TropeOverdosed more tropes than you can shake a stick at]].
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!!This director's work contains examples of:
* AbusiveParents / ParentalAbandonment: A staple of the Jossverse, sometimes lampooned. For the Freudians out there, Joss' parents split before he turned 10.
* ActingForTwo: Or three. Or four. Several actors played different characters between ''Buffy'' and ''Angel''. Some actors also achieved a "hat trick" of appearing as different characters in three of his series. The most notable of these actors is Jonathan M. Woodward. Not only did Woodward appear in all three of Whedon's shows(Holden Webster in ''Buffy''; Knox in ''Angel'' and Tracy in ''Firefly''), his character died in each instance.
* ActionGirl: Very common. Though Whedon himself doesn't think this should even be a trope. He once recounted how interviewers always ask why he writes so many strong, competent female characters, saying he always wants to yell at them about why they aren't asking every other writer why they ''don't'' write these kinds of character.
* AnyoneCanDie:
** Buffy/Angel: [[spoiler:Jesse, Jenny Calendar, Doyle, Tara]], Anya, Lilah (sorta), Cordelia, Fred, Wesley, Lindsey. Not to mention Buffy herself. Twice. And Angel, come to think of it. And Spike.
** [[spoiler:Giles was recently killed in the Season 8 Buffy comics. When asked why, Whedon said]], "I wanted to make all this matter and have something that would send emotional ripples through all the characters. Also, I’m a prick."
** ''Firefly''/''Serenity'': [[spoiler:Shepherd Book, Wash]].
** ''Dollhouse'': [[spoiler:Topher Brink, Boyd Langton, Paul Ballard, Mellie!November, and Bennett Halverson]]. And considering the Epitaphs, quite possibly everyone you don't see, like [[spoiler:Ivy]]. This trope is also subverted), in that [[spoiler:Victor and Sierra]] actually live - most fans expected at least one to die.
** ''Dr Horrible'': [[spoiler:Penny.]]
** ''TitanAE'': [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with [[spoiler: Gune]], played brutally straight with [[spoiler: Korso and Preed]], hinted at with [[spoiler: Cale's father.]]
** [[spoiler: Kitty Pryde]] during his run on ''Astonishing X-Men''. Particularly shocking, considering how much he loved the character ([[spoiler: she's often cited as an inspiration for Buffy]]). [[ComicBookDeath Obviously, another writer undid it]]. But still...
* AuthorAppeal: He likes to give some of his characters English accents like The Watchers, Spike, Adelle, and that [[{{Firefly}} Badger]] fellow.
** People with mental illness shows up in a lot of his shows.
** And [[FootFocus feet]].
** [[YuriFan Tends to turn]] [[LesYay his female characters into]] [[SchoolgirlLesbians lesbians]], if they weren't already.
** Likes to name his characters after objects (Willow, River, Angel, Spike, Faith, Book and Dawn)
** Mysterious organizations who recruit people with special talent (The Watchers Council, Blue Suns, The Academy, Wolfram & Hart)
* {{Badass}}: Many kinds of badass.
** BadassAdorable: Willow, Fred, Kaylee
** BadassNormal: Xander
** BadassLongcoat: Angel, Spike, Mal
** BadassBookworm: Wesley, Giles, Simon, and arguably Shepard Book (how ''does'' a preacher know so much about crime?)
** CulturedBadass: Inara Serra, Rupert Giles
** LittleMissBadass: River, Buffy, the Slayer Army, Echo
** BadassCrew: Crew of ''Serenity'', the Scooby Gang, Team Angel
** BadassPreacher: They call him a shepherd, but that's what Book is.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: River, Drusilla, Alpha.
* BuffySpeak: While he didn't invent it, Joss and his shows had a big hand in changing the way TV and movie characters talk, especially white teenagers. This isn't because he likes it so much as it's how he speaks.
* BuryYourGays
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: The man adores negative space.
* CreatorCameo: [[{{Angel}} Numfar! Do the dance of joy!]] He's also made two self-inserts in the ''Buffy'' comics line.
* DeusAngstMachina, DiabolusExMachina, usually combined with TooHappyToLive below.
* FootFocus: Before there was River, there was Dawn. ...And Fred. And Eve. And Lilah. (Wesley even serves as AuthorAvatar on that one.)
** Notably, both Summer Glau and Michelle Trachtenberg have a background in ballet, which was incorporated into their roles. The former played a ghost ballerina on ''Angel'', while the latter got a dance sequence all to herself in the MusicalEpisode.
* HollywoodAtheist: Malcolm Reynolds is deeply bitter against God/Christianity after losing a war. NathanFillion himself stated that Mal is actually a NayTheist who's pissed off after the Serenity Valley.
* ICallItVera: "Mutant Enemy" was originally the name of his typewriter in school.
* KillTheCutie: Joss Whedon is a sick, sick man.
* MoodWhiplash: All. The. Time.
* ParentalAbandonment
* ProductionPosse: Joss has a stable of "hat trick" actors who appear in most of his shows. Carlos Jacott, best known for [[spoiler:shooting Bill Henrickson]] in the finale of ''BigLove'', played the smarmy villain Ken in the ''Buffy'' episode "Anne". He would later appear on ''Angel'' ("Bachelor Party") and ''Firefly'' ("Serenity").
** Same goes for Jonathan Woodward, first seen as vampire shrink Holden Webster ("Conversations With Dead People"). He went on to play Knox on Angel, and a lively 'corpse' on Firefly ("The Message"). All three characters seem helpful at first, but are later killed by the protagonists when revealed to be more sinister.
** AmyAcker (''Angel'') and AlanTudyk (''Firefly'') both resurfaced on ''Dollhouse'' after the demise of their respective shows.
** Both AdamBaldwin and Gina Torres were salvaged from ''Firefly'' to play villains on ''Angel''. (Morena Baccarin was also slated to appear, but Fox execs nixed the idea.) And, of course, NathanFillion was a recurring villain in ''Buffy'''s last season.
** Gnarl, the Gentleman, the Ubervamp, and the Prince of Lies were all the same guy: Camden Toy.
** Andy Umberger was D'Hoffryn on ''Buffy'', a crazy psychosurgeon on ''Angel'', and an Alliance Captain on ''Firefly''.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Arguably considered the TropeCodifier by many, the most notable of this being ''{{Firefly}}''.
* StrawMisogynist: At least one in each of his television shows. Even for the short-lived ''{{Firefly}}''. And as to be expected, they all [[LaserGuidedKarma suffer violent deaths]] at the hands of [[ActionGirl women]].
* StuffedInTheFridge: This guy has more people in his fridge than [[SerialKiller Jeffrey Dahmer]], one of the biggest kill counts in TV history. When [[NeilPatrickHarris someone]] asked him why he killed off so many women, he replied "[[CrowningMomentOfFunny My personal life is not on trial here!]]"
* TooHappyToLive: Everything Whedon writes. If fans see a happy character, they know bad things are coming. Funnily enough, this happened to an entire series (''{{Firefly}})'' for Whedon.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen
* WaifFu: He's very fond of this.
* YouLookFamiliar: Joss is fond of reusing actors across his shows.
!!Joss Whedon himself is an example of:
* FamilyBusiness: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Whedon Members]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Whedon of]] the Whedon family have been writing for television practically since the medium's inception, and then, of course, there are his brothers.
* SelfDeprecation
* TeasingCreator
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