'The Avengers' Director's Cut May Hit Theaters

What do you mean, "There was unused footage?"

An extended cut of Joss Whedon's already 143-minute "The Avengers?" Sure. Why not. Multiple sources - among them, Aintitcool.com, Comicbook.com and Superheroauthority.com - claim that Marvel's years-in-the-making team-up feature released less 30-45 minutes of footage could be sent back into theaters with the deleted moments reinstated.

The early word is that the "director's cut" could hit theaters this August. In the meantime, it's already fast approaching a $600-million domestic gross. As of June 11, it sat in third place among the all-time highest domestic grosses, behind two James Cameron features, "Titanic" ($658.6 million) and reigning king "Avatar" ($760.5 million). A re-release would certainly build up the hit's September DVD and Blu-ray release, if it indeed hits screens when rumored.

An IGN word with one Disney executive confirmed nothing except that it's but a rumor, for now. Nor has anything surfaced indicating just what exactly Whedon had previously cut. That being said, it's hard to imagine Disney passing up a chance to possibly push "The Avengers" over the top and into the all-time gross champion's chair.

What a summer this looks to be. It's a shame that it seems "The Amazing Spider-Man" feels so lost amid the shuffle between "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises" but it speaks volumes when Spider-Man takes a definite backseat. For "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan will have to have crafted one of the greatest movies of his or any other time. That's one damn tall order.