There’s a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy casting news floating around, because, well, there’s not much else to talk about right now. It’s not even really casting news, just information on who Marvel Studios has on their shortlist. And while that’s nice and all it’s only interesting to a point. But talking to an actor from the other big superhero franchise that you just went up against in the summer blockbuster season?

Okay, now you’re getting my interest gears going.

With the news that Hugo Weaving isn’t particularly attached to his role as Red Skull, or superhero movies in general, and is not angling to get let back into the Captain America franchise, comes an offhand reference by TGDaily that Natalie Portman was recently ‘forced’ to adhere to her multi-movie contract as the titular god’s love interest for Thor 2. It’s a bit of a flimsy piece of evidence of strain between the actor and the movie studio, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

It’s been almost a year since we visited this story, but Portman was known to not really be enthusiastic about filming Thor 2, and especially not after the studio fired her recommended choice for director, Patty Jenkins, who would have been the first woman to direct a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Take all this in with one skeptical eye, but rumors are flying wildly over the nearly-finished sets of Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World. Normally, we don’t hold with the sort of outlandish, unsupported rumors that come with superhero movie territory, but we can’t resist them if they’re just weird enough – or wish-fulfilling enough – to be interesting. And boy, is this one interesting. Hit the jump for wild, unabashed speculation, news about that Phase 1 box set, and some more set photos!

Marvel Studios unveiled its plans for a Guardians of the Galaxy movie at Comic-Con this year, but we haven’t really heard much about the project since then. That may very well change now: Marvel is apparently in talks with director/screenwriter James Gunn to direct the film.

Now that The Avengers is over and the Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America sequels are all in some stages of production, the public eye isn’t quite staring and the workings of Marvel Studios anymore… except it is. Shiftily. Quietly. Waiting for the moment that Marvel reveals that it’s not just sitting on its heels, making a bunch of sequels that we fully expected, and instead, is planning to expand its cinematic universe into those places we know are within its power but that didn’t quite make a good mainstream debut, and probably in that mystery release spot they’ve reserved in the summer of 2014. Speculation has focused on a number of the more obscure characters in the Marvel universe (whose movie rights are not controlled by other studios), with hopes that in addition to showing off footage from the currently-in-production Iron Man 3, Marvel would have a big announcement for San Diego Comic Con, now less than a month away.

According to Variety’s sources, they do: and it’s that the next group of characters to get a chance at the Marvel cinematic universe will be the Guardians of the Galaxy. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Who?”

If we are to believe the Hollywood wing of the internet, then we can assume that Emmy-winning sitcom and film directing brothers Anthony and Joe Russo will take the helm for the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger. After beating out two other solid contenders for the position, the Russos are apparently thisclose to sealing the deal with Marvel Studios. And now, the Russos will prepare for the inevitable “small-to-big screen” comparisons to Joss Whedon, that guy who did that other Marvel movie that did pretty okay at the box office.

Don’t get too complacent with the current cinematic Avengers team: president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige announced this weekend that planning on The Avengers 2 is already underway, and it almost certainly won’t be the same lineup of characters. According to Feige, Iron Man 3, currently in pre-production, is the “first of what we refer to Phase Two of this Avengers Assemble talk, which will lead to an Avengers 2. Those movies will be a part of that.”

By “those movies,” he likely means Thor 2, Inhumans, Guardians of the Glaxay, and Captain America 2, possibly even Ant-Man and the as yet unnamed Doctor Strange movie.

After a bit of speculation, Marvel Studios has made it official: Patty Jenkins has been confirmed to be the director of Thor 2, making her the first woman to direct a movie for the studio. Jenkins has a powerful body of work already, having directed the Aileen Wuornos docudrama Monster, which won Charlize Theron an Oscar. However, this will be the first big-budget outing for Jenkins, making this a big step for female directors.

Marvel Studios has a bunch of movies planned for the next couple of years, but for the most part, they’re sequels to existing franchises — Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, plus The Avengers, which also includes all of the above. But the studio is looking to find its next new franchise, and one possibility being floated by Kevin Feige is one of their lesser known titles, The Inhumans. Are we ready for another Marvel ensemble?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios are just about to go into negotiations with their first pick for directing Thor 2, the movie that will pick up with the God of Thunder after his first stint in The Avengers. Their first pick?

Patty Jenkins, a director who has worked on Arrested Development and Entourage, and was the writer and director of Monster, the movie that won Charlize Theron pretty much every Best Actress award out there.