Zack Snyder Fans Beg DC Studios to 'Restore the Snyderverse' After James Gunn, Peter Safran Exit

"I just need ONE vague Instagram post to put me back in hype mode."Fans of Zack Snyder’s DCU are rallying in support of the director following James Gunn and Peter Safran's sudden exit from the franchise.Gunn revealed he and Safran are leaving DC Studios behind in a lengthy Threads post on November 9, 2026. This news came as quite the surprise, given that Gunn’s version of the DCU is still in its relative infancy; we were just introduced to his Superman in David Corenswet last year, after all.This unexpected move has once again reignited the conversation surrounding Zack Snyder’s departure from DC Studios a decade ago, which — although it occurred for completely different reasons — has drawn comparisons to Gunn’s current situation and how his movies have performed compared to those of Snyder’s."Four years of Zack Snyder's DCEU vs four years of James Gunn's DCU," one said, alongside a screenshot of box office comparisons between the two directors. "You can't fight against the numbers. Snyder's movies outperformed the s**t out of anything Gunn made.""I swear: If you look at all the Snyderverse demand in the comments and DON'T restore, leadership at Skydance should be hot-swapped out immediately. The fans are literally begging for one thing and one thing only: #RestoreTheSnyderVerse," another demanded.Fan wars aside, many viewers are hopeful that this means a possible return for Snyder. "Just need ONE vague Zack Snyder Instagram post to put me into hype mode," one user joked.However, others aren't as optimistic: "Read carefully what [Gunn] said: He is back to pure filmmaking, already has a new project with DC Studios, and the characters they set will live on. As you guys can see, the new guy is from Marvel, not Zack Snyder. The Snyderverse is beyond dead now, more dead than before. That’s the conclusion we are getting, so I don’t know what you guys are celebrating for," another pointed out.In his statement, Gunn described a dislike for the more "corporate" side of being the head of DC Studios and claimed that he was overworked at the expense of his personal relationships. He and Safran will continue to lead projects that are currently in the works, but beyond that, the characters they have created will go on to have a life of their own."That's not to say Peter and I are immediately done with DC or superheroes. We have Man of Tomorrow out this summer. And we've just been engaged on another DC project which I'm writing, and we'll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on," Gunn wrote.This shift puts the future of Gunn's DCU in limbo; thankfully, Lanterns' success has hopes high for a second season, and we still have The People v Gorilla Grodd to look forward to. But beyond this, there’s no telling how this shift in leadership could impact the broader plan for DC movies.Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze. In This Article