Pacific Rim 2 is moving forward with Spartacus creator, Steven S. DeKnight

How will the franchise do without Del Toro helming?

It seems, after a seemingly endless barrage of promises and rumors, the sequel to the 2013 runaway hit, Pacific Rim, is finally getting a sequel.

While this news is music to our ears, it comes with a slight downside: acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro, repsonsible for the first film, as well countless other masterpieces like Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, will not be returning to helm the sequel. Fortunately, that mighty task has been charged to writer for Netflix's Daredevil and creator of Starz' Spartacus, Steven S. DeKnight.

Back in 2014, Del Toro announced there would in fact be a sequel slated for April 2017, as well as plans for a Pacific Rim companion anime series. As of late, those plans have been on the back burner thanks to his involvement with other projects, namely the Konami fiasco involving Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus in their attempts to make Silent Hills happen.

It's possible the reason Del Toro has officially stepped down from PR2 is due to official wheels now set in motion towards a new project, especially after his recent meeting with Kojima, and he isn't able to commit to multiple projects at once. Despite Del Toro stepping down, provided his previous work ethic and talent holds sway, DeKnight should prove to be a fitting successor to the franchise.