Talk about an upgrade! Out of nowhere, Darren Aronofsky’s name became linked with the project, before Fox officially confirmed him as the film’s director in November last year.

“Darren’s vision has brought audiences some of the most original and memorable stories and characters in recent motion picture history,” boomed the official press release. “We at Fox witnessed this first hand with his work on The Wrestler, and Black Swan, and we can’t wait to see what else Darren has in store for us.”

It’s an appointment that certainly seems to confirm the studio’s desire for a more cerebral follow-up to the crash-bang-wallop antics of the first film. From Aronofsky’s perspective however, it seems a slightly odd choice given his indie sensibilities. However, the chance to work with a bigger budget seems to have been the key incentive behind this latest career move.

“(Comic-book movies) are all Hollywood is making,” says Aronofsky. “I do think there are interesting stories and characters in that world. And people like to go see them. I’ve kind of done these five movies where getting the money for them has been more of a challenge than making them. I’ve been the only person in the room who’s wanted to make these films. Now it’s kind of exciting to be in a room where every single person wants to make the movie.”