James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-heads of DC Studios after four years, with former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham taking over as President and Chief Creative Officer, the studio’s new leadership announced Monday.
The change takes effect Dec. 1, 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It arrives in the wake of the merger that united DC’s parent company, Warner Bros., with Paramount, and puts the franchise under a third leadership structure in less than a decade.
“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,” Skydance Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Ellison and Co-Chief Executive Officer Ynon Kreiz said in a joint statement.
Gunn and Safran took over in late 2022, when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav created a dedicated DC label modeled on Disney’s structure for Marvel Studios. In that time, DC Studios has released three films: “Superman,” “Supergirl” and “Clayface.” The most recent, “Clayface,” has grossed $109 million through three weekends in theaters.
“Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement. “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.”
Skydance said the pair will “return full time to their creative work,” including post-production on the “Superman” sequel “Man of Tomorrow.” Gunn and Safran also remain producers on “The Batman: Part II,” slated for 2028.
Latcham worked at Marvel Studios in its early years, producing films including “Iron Man,” “Avengers” and Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” He will oversee DC’s film, television and animation slate, as Gunn and Safran did.
“DC’s pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture,” Latcham said. “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.”
Neither statement addressed whether the departures were voluntary. Hollywood observers are weighing whether Gunn and Safran chose to move on or were pushed out. How much of the shared universe they mapped out will carry forward under Latcham also remains unclear.
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