Disney chairman and chief executive Bob Iger announced during an earnings call that The Avengers director Joss Whedon is set to develop a live-action TV series set within the Marvel Universe for ABC.

More information AFTER THE BREAK…

Any connection between the television series and the feature film world would be loose. It would use some of the film’s themes and vibe, but wouldn’t necessarily the same characters. Fans can expect to see the film characters in The Avengers 2, which will be written and directed by Whedon.

ABC has long wanted to get a Marvel-based television series on the air. A live-action reboot of The Hulk (from filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro) was in development for the fall 2011 television season, as was Twilight writer Melissa Rosenberg’s AKA Jessica Jones. Neither project was picked up to series, although the Hulk series is still in the works with a new writer being sought to adapt the comic book series.