After a weekend of breathless “Aronofsky is getting closer … closer … closer … closer to signing  for Wolverine 2” stories, it’s official. Darren Aronofsky is signed for Wolverine 2.

The news comes straight from the Old Canucklehead’s mouth. Hugh Jackman told Vulture that it’s a go.  It begins shooting early in 2011, right on Fox’s frenetic schedule.

Sensing our doubts, Jackman is quick to assure us this one won’t be as lousy as X-Men Origins: Wolverine. “This is, hopefully for me, going to be out of the box. It’s going to be the best one, I hope … Well, I would say that, but I really do feel that, and I feel this is going to be very different.”

Just to remind us how different it is, he namedrops all the talent, including Aronofsky. “But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that’ll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky’s] going to make it fantastic. There’s going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure.”

There better be.  I don’t want to be a bundle of nerd girl rage again, swearing I’d never give another penny to a Wolverine film, my friends mocking me for my bullet point bitching about mythology deviations.  I can’t go through that again. My self-respect is slender enough as it is.

But dammit, now I’m actually caring again.  Short of showing up with roses and beer, this is exactly what Wolverine could have done to make me adore him and his franchise again. Ugh. I’m so easy.