James Gunn’s DC Exit Topples Major SnyderVerse Milestone Amid Studio Shakeup

Published Nov 15, 2026, 10:21 AM EST Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 10 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with. James Gunn's DC exit is causing a major divide. Gunn was hired alongside Peter Safran in 2022 as co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios to launch the DC Universe. Since their time at DC, they have both seen some major success with their releases, including 2025's Superman. The release grossed over $618 million worldwide, and it was going to serve as the launchpad for Gunn and Safran's hopes for a future DCU. This led to more projects being created, including Clayface, Lanterns, Supergirl, and the future sequel Man of Tomorrow. After it was announced that Gunn and Safran would be departing their roles as co-heads of DC Studios, fans created a new petition on Change.org to reinstate them. The petition has already surpassed 200,000 and is now at 238,608 signatures. This is a huge milestone, as the Restore the SnyderVerse petition has only reached 79,000 signatures as of November 2026. The petition for Gunn and Safran's return states: To Warner Bros. and Skydance Leadership: We, DC fans, are asking Skydance and Warner Bros. to reconsider the decision to replace James Gunn and Peter Safran as the leaders of DC Studios. [...] James Gunn and Peter Safran have helped bring several DC projects to audiences, including Superman, Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns, and Clayface. Their work has introduced new characters, explored different genres, and given DC fans a new interconnected universe to follow. Fans want to know that the stories they are following have a future. It was first reported that Gunn and Safran will exit their roles on November 9 and will be replaced by former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham, stepping in as the new President and Chief Creative Officer. Gunn and Safran released a statement around the time the news broke and shared, "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." Despite the pair stepping down from their original roles, both parties will continue producing projects for DC Studios as they return to "their full-time creative work." Man of Tomorrow, set to be released on July 9, 2027, has already finished filming as well as the spinoff series The People V. Gorilla Grodd. The news of Gunn and Safran's exit comes after the merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount to form the new media giant Skydance, with its CEO David Ellison stating: "We’re thrilled to welcome Jeremy to DC Studios! As part of the founding team behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he helped define the modern superhero movie and powered some of the biggest, most beloved comic book adaptations of our time. We can’t wait to see the stories he’ll bring to life, and how he’ll help build the future of DC for fans everywhere. James and Peter began a new era for DC Studios, guiding it through a major transformation and bringing audiences fresh chapters of beloved stories, including Superman, Lanterns and Creature Commandos. We’re grateful for the passion and care they brought to this work, and for the lasting mark they’ve left on DC." It's unclear the reason behind Gunn and Safran's exit from DC Studios' leadership roles, but there have been reports indicating unhappy behind-the-scenes conversations following the apparent failure of Supergirl, as it only grossed $126 million worldwide, causing a reported loss of around $200 million for Warner Bros. Discovery. More to come...