James Gunn and Peter Safran out at DC Studios; Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham takes over

James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen of DC Studios, with Skydance CEO David Ellison addressing the decision. Their successor is Jeremy Latcham, a producer and former protege of Marvel's Kevin Feige, who will take the title of president and chief creative officer.

The departure caught much of the industry off guard. Gunn and Safran had been named as part of Ellison's business leadership team at the newly merged company, and the Hollywood rumor mill had widely assumed the duo would be safe, according to Ars Technica.

Whether the pair chose to resign or were pushed out has not been confirmed. What is clear is the structural shift that follows: while Gunn and Safran reported directly to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav — an arrangement Ars Technica noted was unusual for the industry — Latcham will report to Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

Jeremy brings a deep reverence for DC and its passionate fanbase, recognizing that they are the very foundation of this storied, multigenerational brand. Under his leadership, every film and television show will be ushered from start to finish through the prism of the legions of fans who love and champion it.— Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs, Skydance Motion Picture Group

Latcham arrives with deep superhero credentials from the other side of the aisle. He produced Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Spider-Man: Homecoming before leaving to launch his own production company, which produced Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Bad Times at the El Royale, according to Ars Technica.

DC's pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture. 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.— Jeremy Latcham, incoming president and CCO, DC Studios

Gunn and Safran formed DC Studios in 2022 and oversaw three films — Superman, Supergirl, and Clayface — as well as the HBO series Peacemaker and Lanterns. Superman was widely praised; Supergirl drew weaker reviews and underperformed at the box office, according to Kotaku. Clayface debuted last month to good reviews and a solid box office showing, according to Ars Technica.

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. 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.— James Gunn and Peter Safran, outgoing co-CEOs, DC Studios

Gunn, who wrote and directed the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow — currently in post-production — remains attached to that film. In a personal Instagram post, he also confirmed he is writing another DC project, leaving open whether he will continue with the company beyond those two commitments.

I didn't know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I just couldn't pass up the unique opportunity. I'm glad I took it... But 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. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that)... And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I'm incredibly passionate about and the ones I'm not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head. So, yes, I will miss the people around me, and I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking.— James Gunn, outgoing co-CEO, DC Studios

What Latcham does with the slate beyond Man of Tomorrow remains an open question. The fate of projects planned past 2028 has not been addressed publicly. The upcoming HBO mockumentary series The People v. Gorilla Grodd — starring Skylar Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen — is among the productions in the pipeline whose futures are now uncertain.

The leadership change is the most visible sign yet of how quickly Skydance is reshaping the combined company after a merger that closed only weeks ago. For DC, it means a third distinct leadership era in a relatively short span — following the Zack Snyder years, the transitional period, and now the Gunn-Safran chapter — with a new executive whose entire major-studio track record was built at Marvel.

Why it matters — The exit of the duo who rebooted DC — replaced by a Marvel veteran just weeks into a major studio merger — signals that Skydance is moving quickly to put its own stamp on one of entertainment's most valuable superhero franchises.

Reported by variety.com, arstechnica.com, hollywoodreporter.com, kotaku.com