Production Paused on The Batman Sequel, Director Matt Reeves Steps Away for Personal Reasons

The Batman writer-director Matt Reeves is stepping away from the highly anticipated and long-awaited sequel, per a new report from Deadline. According to the report, production on the feature is now paused as Reeves has stepped away from the production for personal reasons.

Releasing a statement today (Oct. 5) on the matter, Warner Bros. Pictures said, “Production on The Batman Part II has been temporarily paused while Matt Reeves focuses on a family matter. Matt has the full support of DC Studios, and we look forward to continuing the journey soon.”

Production began on the movie earlier in June (see below) and had been underway in London. The film is currently slated for a February 18, 2028 release date. Deadline reports that sources indicate that it’s still too early to say how the current stoppage will affect the release date.

The upcoming sequel has Robert Pattinson set to return as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Colin Farrell back as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, and Andy Serkis returning as Alfred Pennyworth. New cast members include Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Brian Tyree Henry, Jayme Lawson, Charles Dance, Gil Perez-Abraham, and Sebastian Koch.

#FirstShot #TheBatmanPart2 CC:@E_Messerschmidt Here We Go… pic.twitter.com/BfzjNquZwT

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) June 12, 2026

The Batman Part II Faces Temporary Pause in Production

The project was first announced in April 2022 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, along with Reeves and Pattinson’s returns. The project later went through numerous delays until filming finally began earlier this year.

The Batman grossed $369 million domestically and $766 million worldwide against a reported $200 million budget. It was originally slated for an October 1, 2027 release date, but the date was pushed back to February 2028 last July.

The pause in production is taking place as Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios are undergoing a major merger with Paramount Skydance. Skydance’s takeover of WBD is expected to be completed tomorrow.

It remains to be seen if The Batman Part II keeps its current date of Feb. 18, 2028.