In a surprise twist, DC Studios co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran have stepped down.
David Ellison’s merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, now called Skydance, saw several leadership changes occur across divisions when it was completed last month.
But Gunn and Safran’s positions appeared to be safe, and Ellison’s visit to the Man of Tomorrow (the Superman sequel starring David Corenswet) set was seen as a vote of confidence in their leadership.
Alas, after four years in the role, the duo have stepped down (or been pushed out) in favour of former Marvel Studios veteran Jeremy Latcham.
Gunn and Safran will officially step down from their roles on 1 December, but will remain working on the Superman sequel, The People Vs Gorilla Grodd TV show, and as producers on The Batman: Part II.
James Gunn and Peter Safran react to DC dismissal
Gunn and Safran’s work as co-leaders of the DCU has seen a mix of success and failure.
TV shows such as Peacemaker, Lanterns, and Creature Commandos have been critical and commercial hits.
Their film plans kicked off well with Superman in 2025, but faltered this summer with Supergirl, which failed to take off with critics and at the box office.
Clayface, the horror origin story currently in cinemas, is doing well on all fronts, but not enough to convince the Skydance hierarchy to stay the course set by Gunn and Safran, which is said to be a 10-year plan of films and television shows.
“Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision,” Gunn and Safran said.
“In that time, we helped restore Superman to the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns and Clayface.
“We’re immensely proud of the team that turned that ambition into something real, including the actors, crews and executives we had the opportunity to collaborate with.
“We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we’re eager to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter.
“We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in Man of Tomorrow.”
Furthermore, Gunn published a separate statement on social media, noting that some elements of the job didn’t sit well with him and that he relishes returning to being just a filmmaker.
“Having full access to these characters to do whatever we wanted has been a dream come true,” Gunn wrote.
“I didn’t know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I just couldn’t pass up the unique opportunity. I’m glad I took the job.
“There have been so many highs along the way – releasing Superman and Clayface, making Peacemaker, reading the scripts to The People Vs, the entire process of Man of Tomorrow, which thus far has been the best filmmaking experience of my life, and numerous other moments.
“But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least.
“I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job.
I’m always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I’ve stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years.
“And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I’m incredibly passionate about and the ones I’m not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head.
“So, yes, I will miss the people around me, and I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I’m also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking.”
Who is taking charge of the DCU moving forward?
Latcham was one of the earliest employees at Marvel Studios, joining in 2004 and serving as a major support to Kevin Feige, rising to Senior Vice President of Production and Development.
His producing credits at Marvel include Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
After leaving Marvel in 2017, Latcham founded Latcham Pictures, producing Bad Times at the El Royale and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
“The chance to steward the incredible cast of DC characters to the screen in a way that excites lifelong fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation is a massive responsibility that I do not take lightly,” said Latcham.
“I can’t wait to work night and day alongside filmmakers, comic book creators, artists and storytellers of every kind, across film, television and animation, to build something ambitious for longtime DC fans and newcomers alike.”
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO, and Ynon Kreiz, Co-CEO, of Skydance said: “James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we’re incredibly proud of.
“We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand. Jeremy has been a longtime creative partner to both, and we have complete confidence that James and Peter will ensure a smooth, collaborative transition and continue this work with care.
“We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and to doubling down on our commitment to fans.”
What does this mean for the DCU moving forward?
Several questions have emerged following this change of the guard at the top of the DCU.
First, did Gunn and Safran quit, or were they fired?
Gunn’s statement hints that he may have been considering stepping down, although he recently went on record discussing the potential casting of his DCU Batman.
However, speculation is rife that Skydance leadership asked Gunn and Safran to step down.
Sources have told The Hollywood Reporter that Gunn and Safran were informed of their exit as recently as last Friday.
Interestingly, the DCU’s integration with Skydance will change.
At Warner Bros., Gunn and Safran reported directly to former president David Zaslav.
Latcham, meanwhile, will instead report to Ana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, Co-Chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.
Moreover, The Hollywood Reporter says tension was rising because Gunn and Safran kept using their straight-to-the-top approval approach with Ellison, which displeased Goldberg and Greenstein.
Gunn and Safran had the final word and were apparently slow to reveal their plans to Skydance leadership.
Ultimately, it looks as if Goldberg and Greenstein won the battle for control over the DCU, and will have a greater say over DCU plans from this point on.
What does this extra layer of senior approval mean for the franchise?
Moreover, what will become of the 10-year plan Gunn and Safran put in place?
Will Corenswet remain the DCU’s Superman? Will Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe remain separate?
For simplicity’s sake, Latcham ought to build on the foundations laid by his predecessors, given the DCU was already a recent reboot of the former DCEU set up by Zack Snyder.
Is this regime change a good thing?
Gunn and Safran’s tenure had its fans and detractors.
The highs of Superman, Lanterns and Clayface certainly showed the DCU has promise, but swinging early for Supergirl over launching Batman and Wonder Woman franchises was, to some, a mistake.
Moreover, Gunn repeatedly argued for the DCU having more isolated stories, rather than a more interconnected web of stories akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ultimately, Gunn and Safran’s tenure was too short to judge, and their departure is merely a symptom of a big Hollywood merger where the new man in charge likely wants to change things up in his image.
What this means moving forward is less clear, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Latcham prioritise major film releases for DC’s biggest characters, especially the aforementioned Batman and Wonder Woman.
Meanwhile, it would be great to see Gunn remain in the fold as a key creative, as his talent as a comic book filmmaker is undeniable.
It would be a waste to let his talents go elsewhere.
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