James Gunn Says Matt Reeves is "Still The Director" as Steven Soderbergh Takes Over THE BATMAN: PART II Filming
If you're worried that Matt Reeves is being pushed out of The Batman: Part II, I seriously don’t think that’s an issue, and James Gunn wants you to stop worrying. The DC Studios co-chair has addressed concerns about Steven Soderbergh stepping in to finish filming the highly anticipated DC sequel, making it clear that Reeves is still calling the shots.
The questions started after news broke that Soderbergh would be taking over the remaining principal photography while Reeves deals with a family matter. Considering Warner Bros.' complicated history with DC filmmakers, it's understandable why some fans immediately became suspicious.
But Gunn isn't interested in entertaining another director controversy. Responding to fans on Threads who wanted to know when Reeves would return, Gunn confirmed that the filmmaker remains in charge of the sequel and will oversee post-production once the project moves back to Los Angeles.
He explained: “Matt is still the director of The Batman 2 and always will be. I can’t express how profoundly grateful and moved we are by Steven’s offer to help him complete his vision.”
Soderbergh isn't replacing Reeves or taking the movie in a different direction. He's helping another filmmaker get his movie finished during a difficult personal situation.
Of course, DC fans have some legitimate reasons to be cautious when a new director suddenly steps into an existing production.
Warner Bros. famously fired Richard Donner from Superman II after he'd already completed a substantial amount of work. Richard Lester took over and made major changes, and it wasn't until 26 years later that fans finally got to see Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, which restored unused footage featuring Marlon Brando as Jor-El.
More recently, David Ayer has spoken extensively about how Warner Bros. changed his 2016 film Suicide Squad, with his original version still unreleased.
Then there's Justice League. Zack Snyder stepped away following the death of his daughter, and Joss Whedon took over, conducting extensive reshoots that resulted in a very different movie.
Ben Affleck recently claimed that Warner Bros. used Snyder's family tragedy as an opportunity to rework the film. Fans eventually got Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021 after years of campaigning.
With all that history, it's easy to understand why some Batman fans might be nervous about the situation with Reeves.
But there's an important difference here. Soderbergh appears to be stepping in as a favor to Reeves, not because the studio wants to change his movie. Hollywood directors have helped each other out plenty of times without it turning into some massive creative conflict.
George Lucas brought in Steven Spielberg to help develop action sequences for Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Robert Rodriguez invited Quentin Tarantino to direct a scene in Sin City. Soderbergh even shot second-unit footage for Gary Ross on The Hunger Games.
Sometimes filmmakers simply help their friends get the job done. Reeves has also addressed his absence and expressed appreciation for Soderbergh stepping in. He's still involved in the production, and Gunn has made it clear that the goal is to deliver the Batman sequel Reeves intended to make.
That should hopefully put an end to any premature conversations about a potential "Reeves Cut" before the movie has even finished filming.
As for Soderbergh, it's pretty cool that a filmmaker of his caliber would step up to help finish a Batman movie under these circumstances.