DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down from their roles as co-CEOs, with Skydance tapping an ex-Marvel exec to take over their duties.
Skydance confirmed the news in a press release, revealing that Gunn and Safran's last day as studio heads will be on December 1. Former Marvel exec Jeremy Latcham will replace them. Gunn and Safran are still overseeing post-production on Man of Tomorrow, which is directed by the former. They will also remain producers on other DC projects that are already in full swing, such as The Batman Part 2.
“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," said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO, and Ynon Kreiz, Co-CEO, of Skydance in a joint statement.
"We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand. Jeremy has been a longtime creative partner to both, 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.”
Gunn and Safran also issued their own joint statement, acknowledging they have a history with Latcham from Gunn's days at Marvel.
“Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision," said the duo. "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. 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.
"We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we’re eager to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter. We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in Man of Tomorrow.”
Gunn and Safran's exit comes as a big surprise, and will likely raise eyebrows across the entertainment industry. Although the press release states they are "stepping away," it's hard not to read between the lines. Just last month, it was reported that the two were safe following the merger approval between Paramount and WB. The merger has led to a lot of key Warner Bros. talent being let go, including executives Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca, who were responsible for curating the studio's line-up of film releases. The news of Gunn and Safran's exit will likely only fuel speculation that they were pushed out by new leadership.
Gunn and Safran had a roughly 10-year plan for the DCU, and we're not even halfway through it and the two are already out the door. By all intents and purposes, the two have only recently suggested that they were continuing to plan out the future of DC. Gunn recently released a podcast talking about what's canon and what's not in the DC Universe, he stated that they are planning to cast their new Batman soon, and emphasized importance on Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman anchroing this universe. These are not the kinds of words and conversations you'd expect from someone who knows they are going to leave.
Additionally, it's hard not to recontextualize the rumors that Robert Pattinson is in the mix for James Bond following this news. Although The Batman films are not in the DCU, they are overseen by DC Studios. Given the development troubles and set backs for The Batman Part 2, it's possible that higher-ups at Skydance aren't willing to go through all of this again on a potential third film and they likely want to have one, unified universe to avoid audience confusion.
Regardless of the truth behind Gunn and Safran's departure, their DC tenure was full of ups and downs. Superman was a hit, though has its fair share of detractors who think it's too silly and overstuffed with extra characters. The universe's second film, Supergirl, was a catastrophic bomb. Clayface appears to be a win thanks to its modest budget, despite a somewhat tepid response from critics. Lanterns and Peacemaker were also solid expansions on the TV side of the DCU.
However, the universe has had a difficult time creating momentum. After four years, we really have no idea what's going on with Batman. Wonder Woman is a big question mark. There's been questions over whether or not we'll get a Justice League movie. And other projects that were announced at the outset of this universe, such as Swamp Thing, have seemingly completely stalled out. It hasn't been a disaster, but it definitely seems like things could've been better. Whether the new DC Studios leadership can get a better handle on things remains to be seen.
Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.