‘The Batman Part II’: Matt Reeves Confirms Erik Messerschmidt Has Replaced Greig Fraser As Sequel’s Cinematographer

When it was announced that “The Batman” cinematographer Greig Fraser was going to be too busy with Sam Mendes‘ multiple “Beatles” biopic movies (four in total), it signaled that he wouldn’t be able to lens either Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune: Part Three” or Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman Part II.”

After Linus Sandgren (“La La Land”) took over those duties from Fraser on “Dune 3,” Reeves has taken to social media (see post below) to confirm an internet rumor, cited to Jeff Sneider, that Erik Messerschmidt would be replacing Fraser on his Batman sequel.

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Messerschmidt most recently worked with David Fincher on “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” (the spinoff of Quentin Tarantino‘s “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” starring Brad Pitt), and on Ridley Scott‘s upcoming sci-fi movie “The Dog Stars.” Other credits include Fincher’s “The Killer,” “Mank,” Michael Mann‘s “Ferrari,” the fantastic “Mindhunter” series on Netflix, Scott’s series “Raised By Wolves,” and the WWII pilot drama “Devotion” helmed by JD Dillard.

Plot and villain details concerning the next chapter in Reeves’ tenure overseeing his corner of the DC franchise are scarce, but the director had teased possibly using a villain from Batman’s rogues gallery that hasn’t been adapted to the big screen before. Leading fans to speculate that villains like Hush, The Red Hood, Hugo Strange, and others are being in play coming after there had been some fan theories that either The Court of Owls and Mr. Freeze could show up as well (fans were trying to convince themseleves that the upcoming “Clayface” solo movie could be connected to the Reeves film like “The Penguin” series).

We’re sure that once new casting additions are announced and set photos start making their way online next year (when production is expected to start up), those details may end up leaking from more official trade/studio channels. What we do know directly from Reeves himself is that Cristin Milioti‘s gangster character, Sofia Falcone, introduced to audiences in “The Penguin,” won’t be appearing and will go “deeper” into the corruption of Gotham City.

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“The Batman Part II” is slated to be unleashed in theaters on October 1, 2027, with the expectation that actors Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, Zoë Kravitz, and Colin Farrell will reprise their respective roles in the DC sequel.

This… is a true story. Let’s go Erik… 🦇🦇🦇🎥 https://t.co/nKcfOaBFWD

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) December 2, 2025