James Gunn and Peter Safran Have Officially Left DC Studios

In 2022, James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios. Fans greeted this news with great enthusiasm, largely due to Gunn's acclaimed work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, which showcased his talent as a director. However, due to certain circumstances, the promising collaboration between them came to an end.

Variety has published an exclusive report revealing that James Gunn and Peter Safran are officially stepping down as CEO and chairman of DC Studios, respectively. According to the report, this decision took many by surprise. As is known, control over DC Studios passed to Skydance following the deal between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which was one of the reasons behind the duo's departure. In their place, Jeremy Latcham—a Marvel Studios veteran who contributed to the creation of numerous MCU films, including The Avengers and Iron Man—will be taking over. On his Instagram, James Gunn has already shared a heartfelt message about his departure but noted that he and Safran will continue to be involved in the creative process of the DC cinematic universe.

James Gunn and Peter Safran are OUT as heads of DC Studios!

After four years leading DC Studios, both executives are stepping down following Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros.

Their replacement is former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham, who will become DC Studios president and chief creative officer on December 1.

Latcham worked on major Marvel productions including Iron Man, The Avengers and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He also worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy.

They’ll return to their creative work, with Gunn continuing to work on Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel.

The first project in James Gunn’s DC Universe was the animated TV series Creature Commandos, followed by the film Superman, which was released in 2025. This summer saw the release of Supergirl, which unfortunately became a box office flop. Meanwhile, some DC projects—specifically the first season of the Peacemaker TV series and the film The Suicide Squad— are considered by James Gunn as "light canon," a distinction that has confused many viewers, especially those unfamiliar with the situation. Additionally, last month a new film set within the DCU was released: Clayface, a body horror movie centered on one of Batman’s villains.

Next year will see the premiere of a new film in the DC cinematic universe—Man of Tomorrow, a sequel to Superman, directed and written by James Gunn. Additionally, Gunn has confirmed that he is currently working on the script for an unannounced project, though the details remain unknown.