Editor’s Note: Matt Reeves has taken to Twitter to clarify that he is still attached to The Batman Part II and that Steven Soderbergh is only directing the final weeks of principal photography. He shared on social media, “Just to be clear, I am not leaving The Batman Part II. I am profoundly grateful to Steven for coming to my aid during this challenging time to help me finish principal photography. Thank you to all for your concern and well wishes.” Original story continues below:
Just over a week ago, Warner Bros. announced that production on The Batman Part 2 was pausing so director Matt Reeves could attend to a family matter. It was unclear how long production might be paused, though given how much Reeves’ vision not only helped make the 2022 The Batman such a success, but the overall vision of DC Studios projects he was involved in, it seemed like only a matter of time before production would resume.
Today, though, Warner Bros. confirmed, per Variety, that production would resume, but without Reeves. Instead, Steven Soderbergh is stepping in to complete principal photography.
“As Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing family matter, Steven Soderbergh, as an admirer of Matt’s work, approached Matt and will step in, with the full support of DC Studios, to help the writer-director complete the final weeks of principal photography on The Batman Part 2,” a studio rep shared in a statement. “Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt’s vision of the film.”
Soderbergh himself added, “I thought Matt Reeves’ work on The Batman was stunning; it was intentional, specific and rigorously coherent. The goal here is to work with Matt and his team to generate footage that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already been shot so Matt can properly finish his film.”
There has been no official word on what the family matter might be, though for Reeves to step away from the project for these last few weeks, we wish nothing but the best for Reeves and his family in this difficult time.
The original The Batman underwent a number of delays, though those were largely related to the coronavirus pandemic. The sequel, while announced shortly after the first movie hit theaters, has had a number of release dates come and go as the filmmakers completed work on the script and coordinated schedules with the top-tier talent involved.
Strangely, DC has gone through a similar issue before, as Justice League was being helmed by Zack Snyder, only for him to part ways with the project due to a family matter. Joss Whedon then stepped in to complete production, helm reshoots, and offer rewrites.
Soderbergh, known for titles like Traffic, the Ocean’s movies, Contagion, and Black Bag, is quite experienced in both juggling an ensemble of acclaimed actors and also delivering gripping thrillers. He previously expressed that he had been working on a Star Wars spin-off focusing on Adam Driver‘s Ben Solo, with The Batman Part 2 marking his first major foray into franchise filmmaking.
The Batman Part 2 is set to hit theaters on February 18, 2028.