Joss Whedon and Scarlett Johansson on the set of ‘The Avengers’

Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is set to leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind after writing and directing Avengers: Age of Ultron, which is set to premiere on May 1. In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, Whedon returned to previous sentiments about the misogyny in the superhero world, as well as Hollywood in general, and revealed plans to create his own original content once again.

In the most buzzed about quote from the interview, Whedon sardonically jokes “Let’s put it this way: if a raccoon can carry a movie, then they believe maybe even a woman can,” referring to the success of last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy. He has commented in the past that essentially, the “old white guys with money” don’t believe women can carry superhero films. Since making these claims, Marvel and DC have committed to two female comic book adaptations – Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman – and the Scarlett Johansson-led Lucy drew large numbers at the box office. An all-female Ghostbusters (they’re superheroes, right?) is also currently in pre-production. That being said, Whedon admits he is grateful for his time with Marvel, but needs to get away from the restrictions of “other people’s properties.”

 …the biggest thing for me is that I need to do something that I create myself. It’s been way too long since I created a universe. The last thing I did before The Avengers was [directing an episode of] Glee, and in between I did Much Ado About Nothing. So I haven’t created my own universe for over five years. That feels wrong. You know, my own universe might be a book of haiku. I’m not necessarily saying I’ve got a grand scheme.”

This piece of news will undoubtedly be music to Whedonites’ ears. The man behind several cult television shows, like the short-lived Firefly, the long-lived Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as Angel and Dollhouse – always attracts dedicated followings and undying love for his characters. The only project in development for the writer-director, however, is a film titled Goners, which is billed as a fantasy horror – placing it possibly somewhere in the realm of 2012’s Cabin in the Woods.