Matt Reeves made “The Batman” in 2022, and has had a bear of a time bringing the inevitable sequel, to be called “The Batman: Part II,” to the big screen. /Film reported on October 6, 2026, that Matt Reeves needed to step away from the production for personal reasons. This came on the tail of a one-year delay, announced back in 2024, required for Warner Bros. to figure out their whole DC Universe thing.
As announced in Deadline, however, Steven Soderbergh will be picking up directorial duties moving forward. He will be completing the last few weeks of principal photography. Matt Reeves will not be on set for the rest of filming, but Reeves and Soderbergh will be in contact during the final days of production. Reeves then intends to rejoin the production in post.
The statement from Warner Bros. reads thus:
“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 II.’ Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt’s vision of the film.”
Soderbergh is a professed fan of Matt Reeves, who had previously made the found-footage monster film “Cloverfield,” the vampire child remake “Let Me In,” and two “Planet of the Apes” movies. Reeves publicly thanked Soderbergh for the assist in a statement 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.”
Steven Soderbergh intends to honor Matt Reeves’ vision
Also included in the Deadline article was a statement from Steven Soderbergh himself, who expresses his admiration for Matt Reeves and his goals for “The Batman: Part II.”
“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.”
As of this writing, “The Batman: Part II” is scheduled to open on February 18, 2028. Robert Pattinson will once again play the title hero, and actors Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell will also reprise their roles as Alfred Pennyworth and the Penguin, respectively.
Steven Soderbergh is an efficient, prolific, swift-moving filmmaker fond of high concepts and stripped-down aesthetics. Since 2022, he has directed the cyber-thriller “Kimi,” the lightweight stripper drama “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” the POV haunting story “Presence,” the spy thriller “Black Bag,” and black comedy “The Christophers” with Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. He is also capable of slick action and high-end Hollywood productions, having made the excellent heist movie “Ocean’s Eleven,” the Oscar darlings “Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich,” and the fascinating, big-budget remake of “Solaris.” Soderbergh has never directed a superhero movie, but then, “The Batman” is a little more terse than most superhero movies.
This isn’t Soderbergh’s first time stepping in to assist on a movie. He previously did a stint as second unit director on “The Hunger Games” as a favor for his friend, director Gary Ross. Soderbergh is a savvy enough filmmaker that he should be able to let Reeves’ style dictate the look and pace of the scenes he shoots.