Thor 2 is quickly becoming the ugly stepchild of the Marvel universe. First director Kenneth Branagh declined to return, then Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk entered negotiations only to be quickly swapped out for Monster director Patty Jenkins. Now Jenkins has left the project over creative differences, and Marvel is already canvassing agencies looking for a replacement. Hit the jump for more, including a list of possible replacements and Jenkins' likely future at Marvel Studios.

Deadline reports that a new director is expected to be found quickly, and given Kirk and Jenkins’ backgrounds it’s probably safe to say that they’re looking into the TV world (ie. not too expensive). The report notes that while Jenkins wasn’t the right fit for Thor 2, “the feeling is that she’ll probably end up working on one of these superhero films, but perhaps not on a sequel.” Given that Marvel has plenty of superhero flicks in the pipeline, it shouldn’t be that hard for her to find a replacement property.

A November 2013 release date is looming, so Marvel has to work fast to find their point man. Before Jenkins entered the fray, Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods), James McTeigue (Ninja Assassin), Noam Murro (300: Battle of Artemesia) and Breck Eisner (The Crazies) were all apparently considered, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one of their names pops up. I'm partial to a director with the kind of background that Kirk and Jenkins have, but Goddard or McTeigue could make for an interesting choice. Scripted by Don Payne, the story apparently takes Thor into “literally other worlds” and continues the story of he and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), as well as the relationship with his father.