Joss Whedon proud of The Avengers despite flaws

Filmmaker Joss Whedon is proud of how The Avengers turned out, despite admitting he does not consider the superhero smash to be a "great movie".

The blockbuster, which Whedon wrote and directed, was a box office hit around the globe after its release earlier this year (12) and he has already signed up to make a sequel.

Whedon insists he is proud of The Avengers' success, but believes the film, which starred Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans, could have been better.

He tells entertainment blog Vulture, "I don't think it's a perfect movie. I don't even think it's a great movie. I think it's a great time, and I'm proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don't go to see a movie that many times unless it's pulling on something from within, unless there's a need there. That's very gratifying."

Whedon is still struggling to come to terms with the film's achievements, adding, "You know, at some point, the (box office) numbers become meaningless. They're large, and you can't really count that high.

"I felt like I had a particular mission in making what I felt was a slightly old-fashioned movie, because I grew up wanting to make summer movies and wanting to make superhero movies, and I got to do both at once. I felt like summer movies haven't been what I remember them to be, so I felt like I would love to evoke something that's less hip and ironic and more heartfelt and character-driven, and apparently, other people cared about that in a large way."