UPDATE #2: Matt Reeves officially set to direct 'The Batman' for Warner Bros.

UPDATE #2: After much deliberation and conflict, the saga of directorial duties for The Batman has finally ended. Matt Reeves, the director of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, will be behind the camera for the Caped Crusader's upcoming solo adventure. Here are the statements from Reeves and Warner Bros. on the upcoming film:

Reeves: "I have loved the Batman story since I was a child. He is such an iconic and compelling character, and one that resonates with me deeply. I am incredibly honored and excited to be working with Warner Bros. to bring an epic and emotional new take on the Caped Crusader to the big screen."

Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Content Officer: "We are thrilled to have Matt Reeves taking the helm of Batman, the crown jewel of our DC slate. Matt's deep roots in genre films and his evolution into an emotional world-building director make him the perfect filmmaker to guide the Dark Knight through his next journey."

While there was initially some pause for fans due to the fact that Ben Affleck was mentioned nowhere in the press release, Warner Bros. confirmed that he is still attached. I'm sure there will be more to come but this is certainly a major development in the ongoing story of the DCCU.

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported yesterday that negotiations between Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. for the upcoming solo Batman film have broken down. Talks could resume at any time, but for now, this means that Reeves will not be at the helm for the film. Warner Bros. is still committed to the film, and could possibly turn to Don't Breathe director Fede Alvarez or Ridley Scott, two filmmakers that were in contention prior to the involvement of Reeves. More to come on the DCCU....

Here is the original article from February 11:

How much longer are we going to have to pretend that the DC Cinematic Universe is still a thing?

Okay, okay, I should probably stop pissing off the DC fans. When it was widely reported a few weeks back that Ben Affleck had dropped his directorial duties on The Batman, many, including myself, thought that it was the end of the DC Cinematic Universe as we knew it. Throughout all of the misfires, disappointments, and behind-the-scenes drama, Affleck's film stood as the light at the end of the tunnel. And in the blink of an eye, that light was gone. Suddenly, The Batman was in limbo just like every other DC film, and as rumors of script concerns persisted, it seemed like the end was nigh for the budding cinematic universe. To be quite honest, nobody really knows what will happen with The Batman. Depending on the reaction to Wonder Woman and Justice League, there's a chance that it never gets made. But regardless of the universe as a whole, it looks like Warner Bros. will be pushing forward with this highly anticipated stand-alone outing for the Caped Crusader.

Immediately after Affleck dropped out, the name at the top of the list for a replacement was Matt Reeves. And yesterday, those rumors came to fruition as many outlets reported that Reeves is in early talks for a deal to direct The Batman. Reeves broke out with 2008's Cloverfield, later directing the 2010 remake Let Me In and the highly acclaimed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Reeves is also at the helm for this year's War for the Planet of the Apes (set for release on July 14), and when post-production and promotion wraps up for that film, I have to imagine that he'll jump right into Batman. Reeves has been praised by many, but if I'm being quite honest, I can't say I'm much of a fan. I didn't particularly like Cloverfield, and I wasn't as enamored with Dawn as much as everyone else was. That being said, I'm slightly disappointed for him. Sure, he's getting a chance to direct a Batman movie, which is an incredible opportunity. But he's walking into a burning building, and he's tasked with not only putting out the fire, but rebuilding the structure entirely. Because let's be honest- Zack Snyder isn't going to give us anything new in November.

This is not a good scenario for Reeves to be in, and I can't imagine anything good coming from it. I can't imagine he'll want to partner with Affleck on the direction, and if the reaction to Justice League is poor, I don't know if Affleck will want to be involved at all, even as the star. And to be quite honest, that might be the best-case scenario. Cast a different actor as Batman, use this film as the starting point for a DCCU reboot, let Reeves do his thing, and get the hell out of the way. Who knows what will happen, but for the sake of these characters that I know and love, I'm hoping for the best.

At this point, The Batman will likely debut in 2019.

Source: Variety 
Image Credit: IMDB