It’s been a strange stretch of time for the upcoming sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, currently just being called Wolverine 2.

Whispers have been constant that Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky was close to being signed as the director, which immediately screams “April Fools!” Given that it’s currently October, however, this little prank wouldn’t make much sense, but no one seemed ready to confirm the odd choice for both director and movie. Since then word has come around that a deal between Aronofsky and 20th Century Fox to direct was so close that shooting schedules were being worked out for the director and star Hugh Jackman so that no issues would arise. And speaking of Jackman, he recently spoke about the upcoming sequel, and spoke as if Aronofsky was locked and loaded.

With that said, it seems we can safely assume that this is happening. It still feels awkward, but let’s just run with where it’s going!

As for schedules, Deadline reports that in order for Aronofsky to do all the needed press and awards-related events for his upcoming Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis ballerina drama, Black Swan, production on Wolverine 2 is aiming for a March start. Also, sound stage shoots will be done in New York so that no inconvenience will come to the families of Aronofsky and Jackman, who will have to travel to Japan at some point, where a majority of the film is set to take place.

When speaking about the sequel, Jackman spoke to Vulture and had this to say:

I love Aronofsky; let’s just make that clear. The man is a top awards-caliber talent and his movies always have people talking. When it comes to Wolverine 2, however, I have trouble seeing where this is good for either party. It’s likely that Aronofsky — who was recently attached to direct a remake of RoboCop — might just be looking for a fun job outside of his normal realms that could bring down a much bigger payday than he’s used to. On the other hand, after the first movie did some things that infuriated the masses, fans are going to want a gritty sequel that’s as faithful to the comics as possible and I’m not sure Aronofsky can deliver that.

Who knows, maybe he’s secret comic book nerd and will make the best X-Men-related movie we’ve seen to date. But don’t forget, Gavid Hood directed the first movie after writing and directing Tsotsi…a movie that went on to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This isn’t to say that Hood is on the same level as Aronofsky, but it is something that makes me nervous.

What do you guys think, is a Darren Aronofsky Wolverine movie exciting to you, or does this worry you?