Steven Soderbergh is stepping in to help finish filming The Batman Part II while director Matt Reeves deals with an ongoing family matter. The Oscar-winning filmmaker will work with Reeves and the production team during the final weeks of principal photography, with the full support of DC Studios.
Before anyone starts imagining another Justice League-style change behind the scenes, where Joss Whedon took over the reigns from Zack Snyder while he also dealt with a family crisis, Reeves has made it clear that he is not walking away from the sequel. He will continue working on the film, although he will not be on set while principal photography wraps up.
“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 representative said in a statement.
The statement added that Reeves and Soderbergh will work closely with the cast and crew to fulfill Reeves’ vision for the movie. Soderbergh also emphasized that the goal is to fit the new footage into what has already been filmed, rather than put his own stamp on the sequel.
“I thought Matt Reeves’ work on ‘The Batman’ was stunning; it was intentional, specific and rigorously coherent,” Soderbergh said. “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 addressed the situation himself on X, writing, “Just to be clear, I am not leaving The Batman Part II.” He thanked Soderbergh for coming to his aid during what he described as a challenging time and expressed gratitude for the concern and well wishes he had received.
Warner Bros. and DC Studios announced a temporary production pause in early October while Reeves handled the family matter. At the time, the studio said Reeves had its full support and that it looked forward to continuing the production soon. Soderbergh’s involvement now gives the film a way to complete its remaining photography while Reeves deals with the situation away from the set.
Soderbergh is an unusual choice for this kind of behind-the-scenes assist, largely because he is an accomplished filmmaker in his own right. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Traffic and is also known for Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the Ocean’s Eleven films. His more recent releases include The Christophers, Black Bag, Presence and John Lennon: The Last Interview.
The arrangement also comes after a long road to the sequel’s production. The Batman Part II was announced at CinemaCon in 2022 and was originally scheduled to open on October 2, 2026. Warner Bros. later moved the release to October 1, 2027, before pushing it again in June to February 2028. Reeves’ first The Batman arrived in theaters in March 2022.
Robert Pattinson is returning as Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader. The sequel’s cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Colin Farrell, Sebastian Stan, Andy Serkis and Jeffrey Wright.
For now, Soderbergh’s job is to help get the remaining footage in the can while preserving the film Reeves has been making. That is a very different situation from a director being replaced outright, and Reeves has been explicit about the distinction.
Gotham may be having another rough year, but at least this time Batman’s director has someone helping him finish the job.
