It seemed like a rumor that was too good to be true, but apparently it's actually happening: Deadline Hollywood reports that Marvel is in final negotiations to sign Joss Whedon as the director of The Avengers, the omnibus superhero movie set for a May 2012 release.

The rumor first hit on April Fool's Day at IESB, who swore up and down it wasn't an April Fool's joke-- and they were right! Whedon would be put in charge with a film that stars every actor currently headlining their own superhero franchise, including Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Captain America and Chris Hemsworth's Thor, along with God knows what other kinds of superheroes to sweeten the deal. WIth Thor in production right now and First Avenger: Captain America starting up in a few weeks, production on The Avengers likely couldn't start until late in the summer or fall, depending on Downey Jr.'s schedule on Sherlock Holmes 2. But whatever the schedule, they'll have to do it fast to reach that 2012 release date.

Whedon fans are likely over the moon that their icon has once again found Hollywood validation after Serenity flopped in theaters and Dollhouse met a swift end. Whedon has the fanboy cred to get the job done, surely, and has evidenced some skill for shooting action in his small-screen efforts. But The Avengers is a project that's far, far bigger than Whedon, and his fans may wind up disappointed if he delivers the straight-ahead superhero movie that the job requires, not necessarily a Joss Whedon Film. Then again, Marvel fans will be overjoyed if the movie is any any level actually any good, something that Whedon-- an extremely smart guy-- should be very capable of.

We'll be reporting plenty more on this as the news solidifies and more details emerge about the move. Avengers Assemble!