'The Avengers' director Joss Whedon talks 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Buffy'

Although Joss Whedon has been working steadily in Hollywood ever since he was a writer on "Roseanne" in 1989, "The Avengers," his Marvel superhero movie extravaganza that hits theaters on May 4, will be his first entry into the world of big-budget, A-list action.

Whedon spoke with John Blackstone on "CBS Sunday Morning" about the big moment in his career, and said he's glad he doesn't have a reputation as a big-budget director just yet. "No. I don't even think I want that reputation. I don't even know what that reputation would be like."

But Whedon has been writing strong, butt-kicking characters for a while now. Case in point: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." "I loved the idea of a girl going into a dark alley, and a monster comes, and then she just aces him," Whedon says. "And that probably comes from, among other things, having been mugged several times in New York as a kid. You want to see the tiny person suddenly take control. God, my whole career is basically about that.?

He tried to instill that same sense of female empowerment into "The Avengers" via Scarlett Johansson's character. "Joss did not want the Black Widow to be the damsel in distress or just another pretty face or a woman who was not capable of holding her own," Johansson says.

While Whedon is happy with "The Avengers," his next project is on a much smaller scale -- his interpretation of "Much Ado About Nothing," which he and his pals shot at his Santa Monica home in secret earlier this year. Watch to the end of the CBS report if you want to catch a glimpse at one of the scenes from the film.