After steering Marvel Television’s “Daredevil” to a successful first season on Netflix, Steven S. DeKnight has been hired to direct “Pacific Rim 2” for Legendary Pictures, an individual familiar with the sequel has told TheWrap.

Guillermo del Toro is stepping away from the director’s chair, though he remains involved in the sequel as a producer alongside Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni, as well as Mary Parent.

Del Toro was unable to direct the sequel, as he currently has his hands full between “Fantastic Voyage” at 20th Century Fox and “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” at CBS Films.

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Jon Spaihts wrote the “Pacific Rim 2” script, based on characters created by original writer Travis Beacham and del Toro. Legendary’s Jillian Share will serve as an executive producer.

While “Pacific Rim 2” does not currently have a release date, Universal Pictures is set to distribute the 3D sequel to the original 2013 film, which grossed $411 million worldwide when it was released by Warner Bros.

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DeKnight’s deal comes as a bit of an exciting surprise, as “Pacific Rim 2” will represent his feature directorial debut.

He has plenty of experience catering to genre fans in TV, however. He created “Spartacus” for Starz and worked on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Dollhouse” and “Smallville.”

DeKnight, who served as executive producer and showrunner on the acclaimed first season of “Daredevil,” is represented by CAA. His hiring was first reported by Deadline.