Joss Whedon is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and comic book artist. In a career spanning close to three decades, he has penned the screenplay for several blockbusters and directed some of the all-time highest-grossing films, besides creating popular television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Whedon started out in the showbiz by serving as a staff writer on sitcoms like Roseanne and Parenthood, and got his first big break when he co-wrote the animated buddy comedy adventure film Toy Story (1995). His work in Toy Story earned Whedon a shared Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay that year. Subsequently, he ventured into television and created the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was based on the 1992 film of the same name and also written by Whedon. In 2005, he made his feature film directorial debut with the science fiction action film Serenity, which opened to critical acclaim. However, it was his work as a writer-director for the 2012 Marvel superhero movie Avengers that marked a turning point in Whedon's career and catapulted him to international fame. The movie was not only critically acclaimed, but went on to smash several box office records and became a global blockbuster. In 2015, Whedon returned to helm the sequel to the film, Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was well-received and went on to gross over $1 billion at the box office like its predecessor. Other notable directorial credits include the romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing (2012). Significant film credits as a screenwriter also include Alien: Resurrection (1997), The Cabin in the Woods (2012) and Justice League (2017).