A Women’s MONSTER touch for MARVEL THOR Sequel?

The God of Thunder will be slinging his hammer against more bad guys in 2013 and it looks like there’s a good chance Monster director Patty Jenkins will be leading the way as the director of Thor 2.

Jenkins, who directed Oscar winner Charlize Theron in 2003’s Monster, is the front runner for helming the Thor sequel, according to Deadline. She might seem like an odd choice, considering that Monster was her last big screen production, but actor/director Kenneth Branagh, who many simply know as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, didn’t seem to be a name that would pop into someone’s head when it came to directing Thor. Branagh was reportedly invited back to direct the Thor sequel, according to Variety, but he declined the offer.

If Jenkins lands the position, she’ll stand out as being only the second woman to direct a Marvel production, with Lexi Alexander being the first on 2008’s Punisher: War Zone.

Marvel and Disney are hoping for a July 26, 2013 release for Thor 2, so it probably won’t take long to find out if Jenkins will actually be at the helm of the film. Thor co-writer Don Payne is already onboard and writing the script, and Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins will be returning to reprise their roles for the sequel.