Fabulous news from Marvel Studios. The superhero empire has signed Joss Whedon to a three-year deal.

The esteemed writer-director, who made “The Avengers” a worldwide movie smash, will:

• Write and direct “The Avengers 2.”
• Work on a TV show set within the Marvel cinematic universe.
• Contribute creatively to the Marvel universe as a whole. Whedon previously did some work on the script for “Captain America: The First Avenger” and he also directed the tag scene at the end of “Thor.” Look for Whedon to be involved in two 2014 projects: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

BTW: Whedon’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” starring Nathan Fillion and Amy Acker, will premiere at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival.