James Gunn, Peter Safran Exit DC Studios
James Gunn, Peter Safran Exit DC Studios
James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as the heads of DC Studios after four years in charge of the superhero brand, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter reported on Monday, November 9. Marvel Studios veteran Jeremy Latcham will replace them as president and chief creative officer, taking over the film, television and animation slate from December 1, 2026.
A surprise shake-up after the Skydance deal
The departure is a surprise because Gunn and Safran had been named to the leadership team of Skydance, the new owner of Warner Bros. Discovery, after Paramount’s roughly $111 billion acquisition closed on October 6. As recently as November 1, Gunn had said he and Safran would report directly to Skydance leadership and that the new owners supported their plans for the DC Universe.
Skydance chief executive David Ellison and co-chief executive Ynon Kreiz framed the move as a transition after the acquisition. Whether Gunn and Safran chose to step back or were pushed out remains an open question in the coverage, with the companies’ statements presenting it as a collaborative handover.
What Gunn and Safran said
Gunn confirmed the news in a statement on Threads and Instagram on November 9. In a joint statement to Variety, the pair said: “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.”
They added that they were immensely proud of the team that turned that ambition into something real and said they were eager to see the perspective Latcham brings to DC’s next chapter. Gunn later wrote on Instagram that he and Safran are not immediately done with DC or superheroes, adding: “We have Man of Tomorrow out this summer. And we’ve just been engaged on another DC project which I’m writing, and we’ll see where it goes after that.”
Who is Jeremy Latcham
Latcham joined Marvel Studios in 2004 and worked closely with president Kevin Feige during the early development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He rose to senior vice president of production and development, with credits on the Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers and Spider-Man films. He previously worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy.
As DC Studios’ new president and chief creative officer, Latcham will oversee the studio’s creative pipeline, production, talent and overall strategy. He will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of the Skydance Motion Picture Group, rather than to Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav as Gunn and Safran did.
What happens to DC’s upcoming films
Gunn and Safran will return to full-time creative work. Gunn remains the writer and director of Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman, which is due next summer in July 2027, and he and Safran will stay involved as producers. The Batman: Part II, starring Robert Pattinson, is scheduled for 2028.
The big question now is whether Latcham stays the course laid out by Gunn and Safran or decides to reshape the DC Universe after Man of Tomorrow opens. The London premiere of Ebenezer, starring Johnny Depp, (link: https://ntmnews.online/?p=4421) was one of the week’s other big showbiz moments, while another major Hollywood story (link: https://ntmnews.online/?p=4402) also drew attention this week.
Source: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Syfy and Kotaku.