‘The Batman Part II’ production PAUSED as director Matt Reeves steps away due to “family matter” |

Director Matt Reeves has stepped away from Warner Bros and DC Studios’ ‘The Batman Part II’, unexpectedly putting a pause on the film’s production.According to Deadline, the director had to step away due to personal reasons. A statement by the studio read, “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.”Prior to the pause, the shooting of ‘The Batman Part II’ had been underway in London, with the release scheduled for February 18, 2028. It is yet to be seen if the production pause will once again delay the film’s release schedule.With Robert Pattinson in the lead role as Batman, the film also features Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell returning as Alfred and Penguin. Latest additions to the sequel are Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Jayme Lawson, Charles Dance, Gil Perez-Abraham and Sebastian Koch.Speaking about the sequel, Pattinson previously teased a major change in tone and approach for ‘The Batman: Part II’, describing the upcoming sequel as “a real left turn” from the 2022 film while saying it retains elements of the original’s feel.“It’s so ambitious,” he said, adding, “I mean, I sort of said the other day on something that the first one was a different take on a Batman movie, and this one is another… It’s a real left turn from the first one, but somehow it keeps elements of the kind of feel of it. But it just feels really ambitious, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.”Pattinson, who first portrayed Bruce Wayne in the 2022 film ‘The Batman’, addressed speculation about his character joining Gunn’s DCU in an interview. “I think it would be kind of tough to have this version of Bruce outside of that world,” Pattinson said.The actor explained that playing the character requires a deep commitment because of the film’s lengthy production process and its darker atmosphere. “It’s one of the only characters, I guess, because of the length of the shoots, but also it’s such a specific kind of [style]; the tone of it gets inside you,” he said as per Variety.Meanwhile, amid buzz about a new Batman casting, James Gunn debunked rumors claiming that Jensen Ackles has been cast as Batman in the new DC Universe. Gunn took to Threads to clear the air, stating he had no prior idea Ackles followed him and joking that he was “going to follow him back,” effectively shutting down talk of an active casting agreement. The director previously clarified that no actor has been selected yet for ‘The Brave and the Bold’ the upcoming DCU Batman film, because a completed script was not finished.