The Batman Part II has had a major change behind the scenes — in a rare move for blockbuster movies of this scale, director Matt Reeves is exiting the project, and the remainder of the movie will be directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh. The Hollywood Reporter revealed the news Thursday afternoon.

It had been previously announced that Reeves was stepping away from production on the superhero sequel for a family matter, which was at that time referred to as a temporary pause. Reeves will be involved “from a distance” as Soderbergh completes principal photography on the movie, starring Robert Pattinson as a very emo Caped Crusader, and according to THR is still “more than respected” by Warner Bros. execs.

Soderbergh reportedly approached Reeves with the idea to step in, in a capacity that sounds similar to Soderbergh’s past work as a second-unit director on The Hunger Games. In a statement, Soderbergh said that “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.”

Reeves released his own statement on X, confirming his continued involvement with the film: “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.”

This of course isn’t the first time a new director has stepped in to help complete a DC Comics-based project. However, this situation sounds like a much less contentious one than Joss Whedon taking over Warner Bros.’s Justice League for Zack Snyder.

The Batman Part II is still set for a February 2028 release. The cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Jayme Lawson, Charles Dance, Gil Perez-Abraham and Sebastian Koch.

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. 🦇

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) October 15, 2026