What James Gunn and Peter Safran's departure means for future of DC Studios

James Gunn and Peter Safran are to step down as co-chairmen and co-chief executives of DC Studios after four years, marking a major leadership shake-up at the company behind some of cinema's most recognisable superheroes, including Superman and Batman.

Gunn and Safran will leave their positions on December 1, with former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham appointed president and chief creative officer.

The surprising announcement comes after Paramount Skydance completed its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery in October, bringing DC Studios under new ownership. Gunn and Safran had been included in Skydance's leadership plans, making their departure particularly unexpected.

Appointed in 2022, the pair were tasked with rebuilding DC's superhero franchise and establishing a connected cinematic universe capable of competing with Marvel.

Their tenure produced mixed results at the box office. Gunn's Superman, released in 2025, earned more than $618 million worldwide and launched the rebooted DC Universe. But Supergirl, released earlier this year, struggled commercially, earning about $126 million against a reported $170 million production budget.

Show caption: James Gunn on the set of Superman with Nicholas Hault, left,…

The more recent Clayface, which took the franchise in a darker, horror-inspired direction, has earned more than $109 million worldwide.

Despite leaving their executive positions, Gunn and Safran will continue working on DC projects, including Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel scheduled for release on July 9, 2027.

In a joint statement, Gunn and Safran reflected on their efforts to establish a unified direction for the franchise. "Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision," they said.

They also expressed excitement about returning to storytelling, particularly continuing the relationship between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow.

Gunn was more candid in a subsequent social media statement, revealing the personal difficulties of overseeing a major Hollywood studio. "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," he wrote.

He said he disliked the corporate responsibilities of the position and struggled to divide his attention between projects while managing the studio. He also acknowledged that the workload had taken time away from his family and personal life. "I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking," he wrote.

Gunn confirmed that he and Safran were developing another DC project, which Gunn is writing.

Their replacement, Latcham, brings extensive experience in superhero filmmaking, having worked closely with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige during the early development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He joined Marvel in 2004 and worked on films including Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He later produced Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.

Latcham is to oversee DC's film, TV and animation productions, including creative development and long-term franchise strategy.

Coming projects include The Batman Part II, starring Robert Pattinson, and the TV series The People v. Gorilla Grodd.

Although Skydance has praised Gunn and Safran for rebuilding the studio, the leadership change places the future of their planned DC Universe in new hands.

Gunn's influence will continue through Man of Tomorrow and other productions already in development, but Latcham will now determine the wider direction of one of Hollywood's biggest superhero franchises.