In a major shake-up that will send shockwaves through the comic book world, James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs of DC Studios.
Skydance, which now oversees the division through its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, has named former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios.
Gunn and Safran are stepping down from their leadership positions as of December 1, four years after taking on the role with great fanfare. The duo released three films during this period (Superman, Supergirl And clay face), as well as three live television broadcasts (The Penguin, Peacemaker season 2 and Lanterns), and had a decade of projects in the works.
The duo will still be present creatively, at least on a few projects, as Gunn has done. Superman following The man of tomorrow in post-production for a release planned for next year, with the TV spin-off The People Against Gorilla Grodd also in office. Gunn and Safran remain producers The Batman: Part 2 thus, for a 2028 release date. Once their directing days are over, they plan to return full-time to their creative work. Gunn rose to fame as the successful filmmaker behind Guardians of the Galaxywhile Safran is a prolific producer on many DC and horror titles.
“James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of true transformation, resetting the foundations and building a slate that we are incredibly proud of,” Skydance Chairman and CEO David Ellison and Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said in a statement. “We are grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand.”
Regarding Latcham, the duo said: “Jeremy has been a long-time creative partner for both, and we are confident that James and Peter will ensure a smooth, collaborative transition and continue this work with care. We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and doubling down on our commitment to fans.”
Latcham returns to his leadership roots with this role. He was one of Marvel Studios’ first employees, joining the company in 2004, and eventually became senior vice president of production and development. As a protégé and then right-hand man of Marvel director Kevin Fiege, he earned credits on Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron And Spider-Man: Homecoming. He worked with Gunn on Guardiansthe 2014 film that made the filmmaker a leading director.
According to Skydance, Latcham will lead DC’s film, television and animation lineup, overseeing the creative pipeline, as well as production, talent and strategy. He will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-presidents of Skydance Motion Picture Group. This is a change from the days of Gunn and Safran, who reported directly to the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, before the merger, and before their release, reported directly to Ellison.
“The pantheon of DC characters are among the most iconic in American popular culture,” Latcham said in a statement. “I’ve had the privilege of helping bring some of the most famous superhero stories to life on the big screen, and I’m excited and honored to have the opportunity to now lead DC Studios into its next era. The chance to steward DC’s incredible cast of characters to the screen in a way that excites longtime fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly.”
Hollywood watchers will be looking to see if Gunn and Safran decided to leave or if they were forced out. Before the merger, Ellison flew to the filming of The man of tomorrowwhich was seen as a vote of confidence for the duo, and in recent weeks the two presented their plan to the mogul. Sources have already said THR Ellison told them to keep doing what they were doing. “David knows everything… he’s been great to us,” Gunn said THR last month to keep Ellison informed of their broader vision.
This release now calls into question the vast projects announced by the duo when they took over and attempted to steer DC films beyond the shadow cast by the Zack Snyder era. Gunn and Safran successfully launched the launch of a new Superman movie last year, but then I stumbled with it Supergirla critical and commercial bomb. Their third film, clay facehas generated good reviews and is a source of income.
“Four years ago, we decided to unite DC under a single creative vision. During that time, we helped restore Superman in the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns And Face of clay, ” The duo said regarding their tenure. “We are immensely proud of the team who turned this ambition into something real, including the cast, teams and executives we had the opportunity to collaborate with.
Latcham’s side enthused: “We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy dating back to Marvel, and we can’t wait to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter. We’re excited to return to what drew us to this work in the first place, which tells the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in The man of tomorrow.”
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