Steven Soderbergh will direct the final weeks of principal photography on The Batman Part II, and Matt Reeves says he isn’t leaving the film. Deadline broke the news as an exclusive on 15 October, and Warner Bros. confirmed it.
The arrangement follows the production pause announced earlier this month, when Reeves stepped away to deal with a family matter. The pause left the film in limbo for a while, and speculation grew that the project could be scrapped. DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran shot that down at the Clayface premiere with a straight “no”, and he later told IGN the film would be finished. Soderbergh’s hiring is the answer to how.
According to the studio’s statement, Soderbergh approached Reeves as an admirer of his work and will step in, with DC Studios’ full support, to complete the final weeks of principal photography. Reeves and Soderbergh will stay in communication until filming ends, and Reeves will take over post-production when he’s ready to return. IGN reports that Deadline’s Justin Kroll says Reeves is working on the film remotely from home. The stated aim is to finish Reeves’ original vision rather than to reinterpret it.
In his own statement, Soderbergh called Reeves’ work on the first film “stunning” and said the goal is to shoot footage that will blend seamlessly with what’s already in the can. Reeves has also responded. In a statement on X, he said he is “not leaving The Batman Part II”, and he thanked Soderbergh for helping him finish principal photography during a difficult time. That makes the framing of “replacement director” headlines inaccurate. Soderbergh is covering the shoot, not taking the film over.
The schedule is the open question. The film is still dated for 18 February 2028, after several earlier moves, and it remains to be seen whether the disruption pushes that back again. Dark Horizons says shooting began in June in the UK and was at around the two-thirds mark when it stopped, and IGN notes that, because there isn’t expected to be much left to film, the delay may be small. IGN also points to Soderbergh’s reputation for fast, budget-conscious shoots. Nerdist says it’s unclear whether he’ll get a co-directing credit.
The cast, led by Robert Pattinson, includes Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, and they’ll now work with a second director on the closing stretch of the shoot. We’ll update this story if Warner Bros. gives a restart date or confirms any change to the release.
Is Matt Reeves still directing The Batman Part II?
Yes. Reeves says he isn’t leaving the film, and he’s due to take over post-production when he returns. Soderbergh covers only the final weeks of principal photography.
Will The Batman Part II still release on 18 February 2028?
That’s the current date, and no change has been announced. Whether the pause affects it hasn’t been confirmed.
Who is Steven Soderbergh?
He’s the Oscar-winning director behind Ocean’s Eleven, and IGN notes he has a reputation for shooting quickly and keeping to budget.
