There’s been a lot of talk about a possible Bridesmaids sequel over the past week or two, thanks to a Hollywood Reporter article indicating that Universal might do one without the movie’s star and co-writer Kristen Wiig. The assumption was that Wiig had been offered an eight figure salary to return but that she had turned it down in order to pursue something new with her writing partner Annie Mumolo. She confirmed this to E! Online at the Golden Globes, where she stated, “We’re not planning on doing one… We had a special time making the first one, but we’re really excited to try something else.” As if to underscore her decision, this week Kristen Wiig has become attached a handful of new projects including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a fantastical remake starring Ben Stiller, and The Comedian, an upcoming dramedy to be directed by Sean Penn. Will this be the year that Wiig proves that she should be taken seriously as an actor?

Earlier this week Vulture broke the news that Wiig’s next project would be The Comedian, a “romantic comic drama” being produced by Art Linson (Into the Wild, Fight Club) and directed by Sean Penn. The movie also stars Robert De Niro as “an insult comic with a bright future behind him”. It is expected to shoot in July after the current season of Saturday Night Live wraps.

The Hollywood Reporter followed up a day later with the scoop on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The movie is a remake of the 1947 film starring Danny Kaye as a mild-mannered magazine editor who escapes the pressures of his life by daydreaming, only to find himself on a real-life adventure when the woman of his dreams hands him a book containing the location of stolen jewels. Wiig is in talks to play the girl of Ben Stiller’s dreams, and it could shoot even earlier than The Comedian as it is scheduled to start production in April in New York and Iceland.

Wiig also shot two indie films over the summer called Imogene and Revenge for Jolly!, and it’s clear that she is being very deliberate with the projects she chooses. Insiders say she is trying to avoid the post-SNL slump by broadening her horizons, which is probably a good move. What remains to be seen is whether or not she may eventually reconsider doing Bridesmaids 2. What do you think, is she making the right choice here and does she have a bright career ahead of her beyond low brow comedies?