Joss Whedon wasn’t even flogging anything new at Comic-Con, but he still managed to effortlessly become a highlight. At the 10-year reunion, he was joined by stars Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Alan Tudyk and more.

He wouldn’t be pressed on into confirming whether or not he has decided to direct The Avengers 2, and besides that rogue question, the focus was purely on the sci-fi TV show Firefly, cancelled cruelly before its time.

Whedon gave it high praise indeed by claiming that the show had “the best cast I will ever work with” (take that, Avengers ensemble), and in one of the most touching moments of the long weekend, he received a standing ovation from the crowd (and his cast).

Although the possibility of an animated series was ruled out, Whedon confirmed that there are Firefly comics on the way, and he didn’t rule out the possibility of a Firefly radio show. Fillion and Tudyk seemed up for it.

A nice moment to prove that Comic-Con isn’t always about looking forward…