With 'Steven Soderbergh' reportedly one of the fastest-rising searches in the United States overnight, DC Studios chief James Gunn moved to calm the internet on Thursday, writing on Threads: "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."

Brewtiful Living notes that within minutes of the news, speculation spread that Reeves was out entirely — a reading Gunn's post and Reeves' own statement were designed to settle.

Brewtiful Living argues that big superhero productions almost never change directors quietly, and almost never with an Oscar-winning director volunteering for the job, which is why the internet assumed the worst.

The Hollywood Reporter frames the change against studio history: Zack Snyder was replaced by Joss Whedon on 2017's Justice League after a family tragedy, and Richard Donner was fired from Superman II in 1980.

According to the outlet, this time the entire studio has coalesced around Reeves in what it calls a delicate moment.

Deadline broke the story exclusively, reporting that Soderbergh approached Reeves and will help complete the final weeks of principal photography, with the two remaining in communication and Reeves taking over post-production when ready.

Dark Horizons reports the film is around the two-thirds mark, and that DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran shot down scrapping speculation with a straight "no" at the Clayface premiere.

IGN adds, citing Deadline reporter Justin Kroll, that Reeves is working on the film remotely from his home in Los Angeles.

Rolling Stone reports The Batman Part II was announced in 2022, originally slated for October 2026, then pushed to October 2027, and now carries a February 18, 2028 release date — with sources telling Deadline it is too early to say whether the stoppage will affect that date.

IGN notes Soderbergh shoots quickly and is known for firm control of budgets, which the studio will likely appreciate with only a few weeks of shooting left. The first film grossed $772.8 million worldwide, per Deadline.

Soderbergh's statement, first reported by Deadline and quoted across the pack: "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 wrote on X: "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."

The plan, as The Hollywood Reporter describes it, is for Soderbergh to work in London while Reeves operates out of Los Angeles, then become more hands-on during post-production.

The cast includes returning Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell, plus new additions Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Brian Tyree Henry, Jayme Lawson, Charles Dance, Gil Perez-Abraham and Sebastian Koch.

Brewtiful Living's take: if Soderbergh does the job properly, audiences will never be able to tell which scenes he shot — and that is the point.