James Gunn and Peter Safran Exit DC Studios as Marvel Veteran Takes Over

James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as CEOs and chairmen of DC Studios, ending a four-year run that reset the comic book division to mixed commercial results. Jeremy Latcham, a Marvel veteran who helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will replace them as president and chief creative officer.

The exit is unexpected. Gunn and Safran were named to David Ellison's leadership team at the newly renamed Skydance after Paramount's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closed in October. Now both men return full time to creative work.

What did Gunn and Safran achieve at DC?

Former Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav appointed the pair in 2022 with one edict: build a true rival to Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Their record splits three ways:

• Superman (last summer): a relative hit with $618 million globally.
• Supergirl (July): a massive bomb — $126 million worldwide on a $170 million budget, a shortfall of more than $40 million.
• Clayface (this fall): a modest performer, earning $109 million on a $44 million budget.

They also expanded DC into streaming with the HBO Max series "Peacemaker" and "Lanterns."

"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 joint statement.

Gunn posted a blunter assessment to social media after the announcement. "What only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least," he wrote. "I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job."

The takeaway: Gunn and Safran stabilized DC's creative direction but never matched Marvel's commercial scale.

Who is Jeremy Latcham?

Latcham joined Marvel Studios in 2004 and rose to senior VP of production and development, working closely with president and chief creative officer Kevin Feige to launch the MCU.

His producing credits there span the franchise's foundations:

• Associate producer, "Iron Man"
• Co-producer, "Iron Man 2"
• Executive producer, "The Avengers," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

He left Marvel in 2017 to found Latcham Pictures, which held first-look deals at 20th Century Fox, Hasbro and Wonder Project and produced "Bad Times at the El Royale" and "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." He recently held an overall deal at Hasbro Entertainment, developing a "Dungeons & Dragons" sequel and an "Action Man" film, and was producing Lionsgate's adaptation of "Naruto" for director Destin Daniel Cretton.

At DC, Latcham will lead film, television and animation, overseeing the creative pipeline plus production, talent and strategy. He reports to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.

"Jeremy brings a deep reverence for DC and its passionate fanbase, recognizing that they are the very foundation of this storied, multigenerational brand," Goldberg and Greenstein said.

What did Skydance's leadership say?

Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz praised Gunn and Safran for "[launching] a new era for DC Studios and [leading] it through a period of real transformation."

"We're grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand," they said in a statement. "We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and to doubling down on our commitment to fans."

Latcham framed the job as stewardship of an American institution. "DC's pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture," he said. "I can't wait to work night and day alongside filmmakers, comic book creators, artists and storytellers of every kind, across film, television and animation, to build something ambitious for longtime DC fans and newcomers alike."

What comes next for DC on screen?

The slate Latcham inherits is already set through 2028:

• Superman: Man of Tomorrow (next summer), written and directed by Gunn.
• The Batman: Part II (2028), starring Robert Pattinson.
• The People v. Gorilla Grodd (2027), a series with Skyler Gisondo reprising his Jimmy Olsen role from "Superman" opposite Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd.

Gunn and Safran said they will now focus on "the next chapter of Clark and Lex's journey in 'Man of Tomorrow.'" Latcham's first test will be whether an MCU architect can convert DC's most iconic characters into the sustained box-office franchise Gunn and Safran only intermittently delivered.