Beyonce as Wonder Woman? Let that one sink in for a minute. It could happen, after all.

The singer-turned-actress — aka Beyonce Knowles or Beyonce Knowles-Carter — has been adequate at best in her movie roles, especially in "Dreamgirls," where she was upstaged by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.

And she wasn't entirely convincing as an action heroine in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," either.

However, several sites are reporting that she has been in discussions with Warner Bros. officials about starring in a movie that's based on the once-popular comic book "property."

But wait, there's more bad news.

Joseph McGinty Nichol, aka McG, of "Charlie's Angels" movie infamy, is in talks to direct the film.

That's a far cry from when "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon was originally attached to the project. He would have been perfect for it.

On the good-news front, though, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures have finally confirmed that both director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. will be back for "Iron Man 2," the 2010 follow-up to this summer's smash hit.

Also, Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard as the title character's sidekick, James "Rhodey" Rhodes.

Howard was decent in the first movie, but Cheadle is one of my favorite actors, so this is actually a good move, in my opinion. (Rumors are this was a cost-saving move, by the way.)

Marvel also announced the directors of two other upcoming superhero movies. Kenneth Branagh will helm "Thor" (2010), based loosely on the comic book series and Norse mythology.

And Joe Johnston will direct 2011's "The First Avenger: Captain America."

Each man has had hits — Branagh with Shakespearean adaptations such as "Hamlet" (1996) and "Henry V" (1989); Johnston with "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (1989) and "Jumanji" (1995).

No casting has been announced for either movie, though Daniel Craig, WWE wrestler HHH and Kevin McKidd (HBO's "Rome") have all been rumored for the former. Meanwhile, suggested Captain Americas include Aaron Eckhart, Jon Hamm (TV's "Mad Men") and Leonardo DiCaprio.

• A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT KIND OF HERO: Fort Douglas's Post Theatre will host the "World Wide Wayne" Film Festival next week.

And as you may have guessed — the "Wayne" in the title refers to the late film star John Wayne.

The two-day festival, which starts Thursday, will features screenings of the classic 1956 Western "The Searchers," "The Green Berets" (1968) and "Back to Bataan" (1945).

Another added incentive: All the screenings are free. More information is available at www.awc.utah.edu.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com