The Avengers

Geeks and Whedonites (that’s Joss Whedon fans, to the laymen) got all uppity today following a Radar Online report that Demi Lovato, the troubled and sometime racy Disney star, was going to be in Marvel’s The Avengers, which Whedon will shoot in spring 2011.

Actually, what Radar said was that she "was up for a role," but that quickly went to "she’s in it" pretty darn quickly.

Sources inside Lovato’s camp as well as Marvel’s, however, said there was no truth to the rumor, denying across the board Lovato’s involvement. Part of the problem in hiring the actress is that she’s currently in rehab “for emotional and physical issues.”

But that doesn’t mean Marvel isn’t on the hunt for another female actress to join the male-heavy cast. So far, Scarlett Johansson (as the Black Widow) is the only notable female in a roll call that includes Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor).

Sources say Marvel is looking for another actress to, um, (un)beef up the lineup, although in typical Marvel secretive fashion, the role is not being revealed. (Anyone want to take bets it’s the Wasp?)