It seems there are some shake ups and questions happening in the Fox camp regarding some of their Marvel properties. And the media hype for Thor has begun.

First, Robert Schwentke (Red) has removed himself from the running to direct Wolverine 2. David Slade (30 Days of Night, Twilight: Eclipse) was the only other major candidate in the running so it should be a lock. But wait, there’s more. Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream), fresh off the rumors for a Preacher movie, now has his name in the hat. Hugh Jackman supposedly gets the final word on the director and he reportedly enjoyed working with Aronofsky on The Fountain, so take that for what it’s worth.

Fox’s other recent news is that Robert Rodriguez’s attachment to the Deadpool spin-off is not as secure as was previously reported. Apparently his scheduling conflicts from Spy Kids 4 may be a deal breaker. Am I the only one thinking both Rodriguez and Ryan Reynolds probably aren’t going to be part of this movie, if it even happens?

In less controversial Marvel movie news, the media machine has started in earnest for May 2011’s Thor. The November 2010 issue of Empire magazine has a Thor cover and what seems to be a pretty extensive first look at this highly anticipated movie. I’m not a regular reader of this British magazine but, since the issue also has stories on Mark Ruffalo (and his recent casting as Hulk/Banner), Let Me In, and Drew Struzan (amazing poster artist), I might have to find a copy.