Was it ever in doubt that Joss Whedon’s The Avengers would be released in 3D next summer? I guess that after both Kenneth Branagh’s Thor and Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger hit theaters in 3D this summer that Whedon’s ensemble adventure was finally given the go-ahead for the added dimension.

Either way, Disney officially confirmed the enhancement in an announcement regarding its 2012 release schedule that was picked up over on Deadline.

Whedon’s film unites the Earth’s mightiest heroes – Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) – in a battle against Asgardian trickster Loki (Tom Hiddleston), with the fate of the world lying in the balance. To date, we have seen an official trailer, a German teaser (with new footage), character banners and plenty of insight from Whedon on his process.

And in that, not a single mention of 3D? How did that fact elude us? Granted, there's no way Marvel Studios was going to leave the possibility of extra money on the table after audiences paid extra to see Thor and Cap in 3D. And while I’m sure a majority of our readers (myself, included) would prefer a 2D Avengers adventure – and certainly will have that option at participating theaters – the success of Hugo and Tintin have softened my resistance to the largely unnecessary technology. I’m willing to see what Whedon was able to create in the third dimension. Either way, we’ll find out once The Avengers reaches theaters on May 4, 2012.