Last Friday, it was reported that Matt Reeves had entered early talks with Warner Bros. to take the helm of their upcoming The Batman solo feature, but now, just a week later, it appears as though Reeves has decided to bow out of consideration.

The Hollywood Reporter has received confirmation that Reeves has indeed exited negotiations, but their story also adds that there is still a small possibility that talks could eventually resume down the line when both sides have some time to cool down. However, there does seem to be a bit of a time constraint as the studio is apparently hellbent on making the movie much sooner rather than later, and they believe the Batman franchise is much bigger than just one individual – so it’s a bit uncertain whether they’ll actually wait on Reeves, who is currently deep in post-production on War for the Planet of the Apes.

The latest report doesn’t mention any new contenders, but it has been rumored over the past few days that WB may soon turn to either Ridley Scott (The Martian) or Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe) for the job.

This is now the second (potential) director to exit the project, after Ben Affleck, who recently opted against directing and will now only star in the Dark Knight’s latest solo feature. It is also the fifth overall director to depart the DC Cinematic Universe, after Michelle MacLaren left Wonder Woman and both Seth Grahame-Smith & Rick Famuyiwa left The Flash.

As for why Reeves has decided to end negotiations, that’s up in the air, but it does beg the question: could it have something to do with the rumors of Affleck possibly being done with the role of Batman? Only time will tell.

What do you guys think? Who would you like to see direct The Batman? Sound off with your thoughts below!