HBO Max Head of Original Content Calls Making James Gunn and Peter Safran Heads of DC Studios A “Brilliant Move”

Sarah Aubrey, the head of original programming at HBO Max, is excited that Max veterans James Gunn and Peter Safran have been promoted to co-CEOs of DC Studios, and will be responsible for charting the direction of DC’s film, TV, and animation projects. Peacemaker, a spinoff of Gunn’s film The Suicide Squad, has been one of HBO Max’s biggest original hits, and is set to release a second season in spite of the chaos at Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max. Aubrey thinks that it was a great idea to bring in a filmmaker to be “DC’s Kevin Feige,” and to supplement him with a producer who has a string of hits under his belt.

Gunn and Safran got the job last month, and fans have been pretty enthusiastic about the idea of the Guardians of the Galaxy director taking on DC’s shared universe.

“It’s a brilliant move to bring a filmmaker and producer into these executive roles for DC,” Aubrey told Variety. “I know from working with James and Peter on Peacemaker that they have the creative passion, confidence and deep filmmaking expertise to chart a new course for DC that’s full of originality and exciting for both fans and filmmakers.”

Aubrey says that she has been in conversation with the producers about upcoming projects, and that they have an open line of communication and plenty of ideas about what characters need TV versus film adaptations.

“”There’s not this territorialism around characters or stories,” Aubrey added. “And we very much talk about things in both directions: ‘That would make a better feature,’ or ‘That character should start in a feature and then come into a series.’ Frankly, I imagine that will continue because it’s a big operation.”

“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children,” Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement when the gig was announced. “We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told.”

Gunn and Safran have long worked together, with the latter serving as the filmmaker’s manager through the years. Safran also produced Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker in addition to Shazam! and Aquaman. Safran’s production house also works with James Wan’s Atomic Monster on New Line’s The Conjuring universe.