DC Studios Hit with Major Shakeup: James Gunn & Peter Safran Officially Leaving

Published Nov 9, 2026, 12:36 PM EST Michael McWhertor is a New York-based journalist and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering games, industry events, technology, movies, and TV. Former Marvel Studios exec will now lead DC Image: Warner Bros Pictures/The Everett Collection Just four years after James Gunn and Peter Safran took control of the DC cinematic, television, and animation universe, the co-CEOs of DC Studios are stepping down. Parent company Skydance, which recently acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, announced the move on Monday, saying that Gunn and Safran will "ensure a smooth, collaborative transition" to new leadership. In their stead, a longtime Marvel Studios exec will be stepping in to oversee the new DCU. “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,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement. “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." "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. We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand," Skydance CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said in a statement. Jeremy Latcham takes over DC Studios Taking over for Gunn and Safran at DC Studios is Jeremy Latcham, formerly of Marvel Studios, where he served as senior VP of production and development. Latcham's producer credits include some of Marvel's earliest hit films, including Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. "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," Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said. "We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and to doubling down on our commitment to fans.” "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," added Gunn and Safran. "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.” “DC’s pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture,” said Latcham in a statement. “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. The chance to steward the incredible cast of DC characters to the screen in a way that excites lifelong fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation is a massive responsibility that I do not take lightly.” Gunn added more color to his departure in a statement posted to Instagram, explaining that while he enjoyed the filmmaking process at DC Studios, he enjoyed the business side of being co-studio head less. "The past four years is [sic] my time at DC Studios has been trying to say the least," Gunn said. "I dislike the at-time corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that). I'm always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I've stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years. [...] 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." Gunn and Safran laid out an ambitious slate of projects for their new DCU in 2024, laying out the next decade of films, TV shows, animated specials, and gaming projects that would unify DC's comics properties. Some of those projects have come to fruition and found success, such as Superman and Lanterns. Other projects, namely Supergirl, were less successful, and other unplanned expansions of the DCU (e.g., Clayface) showed that Gunn and company were willing to alter their plans. It's unclear at this stage how much of Gunn's creative vision will be maintained beyond in-development projects like Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow and TV series The People v. Gorilla Grodd. But it's certain to be another exciting era for the DC cinematic universe, however plans change.