Image via U.S. Embassy in the Philippines / Wikimedia Commons (public domain). James Gunn (front) and Peter Safran at the Superman premiere in Manila in June 2025.
James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as the heads of DC Studios. Skydance announced the change on Monday, November 9. The pair leave their jobs as co-chairs and co-CEOs on December 1, four years after they took charge in 2022.
Jeremy Latcham takes over. He is a Marvel veteran who spent 13 years at Marvel Studios, and he becomes president and chief creative officer of DC Studios. He will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, the co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.
The news caught Hollywood off guard. Gunn and Safran had kept their jobs when Skydance bought Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth about $111 billion, which closed in October. Their exit was not expected. Skydance chairman David Ellison praised them in a statement, saying they "launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation."
Why they are leaving
No clear reason has been given for the change. Skydance has not said the pair were pushed out, and Gunn has not said that either. His own words point to a simpler story: he wants to make films again, not run a studio.
"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," Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement.
Gunn went further in a personal post. He said his four years at DC Studios had been "trying, to say the least." He said he disliked the corporate side of the job and found it hard to split his time between the films he loved and the work of running a studio. He also said the workload had taken time away from his family. "I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking," he wrote.
What Gunn and Safran built at DC
The pair were hired in 2022 to rebuild DC's films and shows under one plan, with a single connected universe to rival Marvel. Their first project was the animated series Creature Commandos. Then came Superman in 2025, the film that launched the new DC Universe on the big screen.
The box office told a mixed story. Superman took in more than $618 million around the world. Supergirl, released this year, struggled and made about $126 million against a reported $170 million budget. Clayface, a darker horror-style take on the character, has made more than $109 million so far. On TV, they oversaw The Penguin, season 2 of Peacemaker and Lanterns.
| Project | Result |
|---|---|
| Superman (2025) | More than $618 million worldwide; launched the new DC Universe |
| Supergirl (2026) | About $126 million worldwide; struggled against a $170 million budget |
| Clayface (2026) | More than $109 million worldwide; horror-style gamble |
| Creature Commandos | Animated series; the first project of the new DC Universe |
| The Penguin, Peacemaker season 2, Lanterns | Live-action TV shows under Gunn and Safran |
Who is Jeremy Latcham?
Latcham is no stranger to superhero films. He joined Marvel in 2004 and stayed for 13 years, rising to senior vice-president of production and development. He was an executive producer on The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He worked closely with Marvel boss Kevin Feige in the early years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he worked with Gunn himself on Guardians of the Galaxy.
He left Marvel in 2017 to start his own company, Latcham Pictures. Since then he has produced Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Bad Times at the El Royale. At DC he will run the film, TV and animation slates, covering creative development, production, talent and long-term strategy.
"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," Latcham said.
What happens to Superman and Batman now?
For now, nothing changes for the films already in the works. Gunn is in post-production on Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman, which is due in cinemas on July 9, 2027. Gunn and Safran stay on as producers, and Gunn is writing and directing it. The Batman: Part II, starring Robert Pattinson, is due in 2028, with the pair producing. The TV series The People v. Gorilla Grodd is also on the way, and Gunn says he is writing another DC project.
That means Gunn's fingerprints will stay on DC for a while yet. But the wider plan he and Safran drew up over four years now sits with Latcham. He will decide where the DC Universe goes next, and whether the connected story they started keeps its shape or takes a new turn. No reboot has been announced, and no project has been cancelled.
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| Man of Tomorrow (Superman sequel) | In post-production; in cinemas July 9, 2027; Gunn writing and directing |
| The Batman: Part II | Due 2028; Robert Pattinson stars; Gunn and Safran producing |
| The People v. Gorilla Grodd | TV series in the works |
| Untitled DC project | Gunn is writing it; no details yet |
The change also lands at a busy time for superhero films. Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday is on the way, with Chris Evans back as Steve Rogers. DC now has a new boss who knows Marvel from the inside, and the race between the two studios just got a lot more interesting.
FAQs
Why are James Gunn and Peter Safran leaving DC Studios? No single reason has been given. Skydance praised their work, and Gunn says he wants to get back to writing and directing. He called his four years running the studio "trying, to say the least."
When do Gunn and Safran step down? December 1, 2026. Jeremy Latcham takes over the same day as president and chief creative officer.
Who is Jeremy Latcham? A former Marvel Studios executive who spent 13 years at Marvel and worked on Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He left Marvel in 2017 and ran his own production company.
Is Man of Tomorrow still happening? Yes. The Superman sequel is in post-production and is due in cinemas on July 9, 2027. Gunn is writing and directing it.
What about The Batman: Part II? It is still on track for 2028, with Robert Pattinson back as Batman. Gunn and Safran stay on as producers.
Is the DC Universe being rebooted again? No. Nothing has been announced about cancelling or rebooting the current DC Universe. Latcham takes over the slate as it stands.
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