James Gunn & Peter Safran Stepping Down As DC Studios Heads, Former Marvel Exec Taking Over

James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as the co-heads of DC Studios, in one of the first major executive shakeups since Warner Bros. was acquired by Skydance. Taking over the position will be Jeremy Latcham, a former executive at Marvel. Gunn and Safran will reportedly end their positions on December 1st, after first taking jobs in November of 2022. Gunn will reportedly still complete work and release his Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, and will be involved with the spinoff series The People v. Gorilla Grodd; both Gunn and Safran will also remain attached as producers on Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II.

“Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision. 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,” Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement. “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.”

“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,” Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said in a statement. “We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand.”

This shocking headline comes just over a month after some insider reports claimed to know how the executive shakeups between Warner Bros., DC Studios, and Skydance would play out. It was said that James Gunn and Peter Safran would remain at DC Studios, while WB execs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy would be out, while “Paramount’s Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg will oversee both studios.” De Luca and Abdy exited shortly after the WB-Skydance merger in October, while Greenstein and Goldberg have indeed taken up leadership positions as co-chairs of the larger Skydance Motion Picture Group, which now includes all of Paramount, Warner Bros, the former Skydance production company and all the many film and TV brands that come with them.

DC fans were always skeptical that Gunn and Safran would remain with Skydance. To be fair, though: that reporting came months after we got reports that Gunn and Safran had met with Skydance CEO David Ellison on the set of Man of Tomorrow; it was said that all parties left that meeting aligned on how the next decade of the DCU franchise will play out. Now we have to wonder if any of that was true, or, even if it was accurate reporting, maybe the context was misread: maybe Gunn and Safran were starting the transitional process much earlier than we knew.

What happens to DC Studios After Gunn & Safran Leave?

DC Studios will now fall under the purview of Jeremy Latcham. Latcham was one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s earliest executives: he was an associate producer and co-producer on Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2, before becoming executive producer on The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and even James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

In their continuing statement, Skydance writes, “Jeremy has been a longtime creative partner to both [Gunn and Safran], 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.”

“DC’s pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture,” Latcham said in his statement. “I’ve had the privilege to help bring some of the most celebrated superhero stories to life on the big screen, and I’m excited and honored for the opportunity to now lead DC Studios into its next era. 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.”

Is the DCU now cooked in your opinion? Or is this going to be a welcome change? Sound off in the comments!

via THR

James Gunn Opens Up About “Trying” Times at DC Studios, But Confirms Third Project in the Works