Stardust helmer Matthew Vaughn has been tapped to direct Marvel’s THOR Variety reports. Vaughn was once slated to direct X-MEN 3 so he’s on a comic book tear;

Mark Protosevich (”I Am Legend”) did the adaptation of the comicbook franchise that launched in 1962. Thor is a blonde-tressed, hammer-wielding hero who’s sent to Earth to protect mankind.

{snip] Marvel Studios will likely finance “Thor” using its $500 million credit facility through Merrill Lynch. Marvel has used that fund to finance both Edward Norton starrer “The Incredible Hulk,” which Universal releases June 13, and “Iron Man,” the Robert Downey Jr. starrer that Paramount will open on May 2.

§ Speaking of directors, we missed the announcement of the director for Punisher 2, and she’s a character in her own right: German-born one time kickboxing champ Lexi Alexander, who previously directed HOOLIGANS. Ray Stevenson (ROME) has been cast as the Punisher following Thomas Jane’s exit from the project.

§ McG is also back on a comic book project: Maintenance by Jim Massey and Robbi Rodriguez:

Joe Ballarini is adapting the project, which follows the exploits of two janitors who work at Terrormax Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of weapons and doomsday devices to supervillains. If they’re not too busy cleaning up toxic spills and performing menial repairs on time machines, they just might save the world.

“Some of the films that made me want to become a director like ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ are based on action, comedy and ground-breaking special effects,” McG said. “It is my goal to make ‘Maintenance’ in the same tradition.”

§ Reporter Nikki Finke is a controversial figure in Hollywood, but her discussion of the marketing and outlook for STARDUST is interesting, if depressing, reading.

There are two things you may not know about Stardust, opening this weekend. 1) Good thing Brad Grey is vacationing in Europe with his family. Because he’ll miss the pic’s disastrous domestic opening this weekend.

§ Finally, even movie stars enjoy the perks of Comic-Con as SUPERBAD’s Michael Cera made like a fanboy:

Cera’s ability to play likable nerds may come naturally. He says that one of the highlights of his involvement with the marketing of Superbad came when he attended the comic book and film convention Comic-Con and met one of his idols.

“I met [Ghostbusters’] Ernie Hudson and got a signed headshot. It cost 20 bucks, but then I lost it. I still have it [the evidence] on tape that I got the autograph. He was really friendly, and he hasn’t aged a bit. The photo was from Ghostbusters, and it said: ‘To Michael, who are you gonna call?’ ”

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