James Gunn and Peter Safran are out as heads of DC Studios.
The move comes after Skydance closed its $110 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery bought in October. Jeremy Latcham, who helped shape the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been named president and chief creative officer, DC Studios, effective December 1, 2026.
Gunn and Safran joined the company four years ago with the goal of making DC a true challenger to the MCU, but they’ve had mixed success. “Superman,” directed by Gunn, was a hit at the box office, but “Supergirl” bombed and “Clayface,” an R-rated body horror film, performed modestly. The pair also launched new series based on the company’s comic book characters, including “Peacemaker” and “Lanterns”. Gunn has another film on the horizon, the “Superman” series, “Man of Tomorrow”, which opens next year.
“James and Peter ushered in a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of true transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate of which we are extremely proud,” said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO, and Ynon Kreiz, Co-CEO, Skydance in a statement. “We are grateful for their passion, contribution and commitment to this legendary brand. Jeremy has been a long-term creative partner to both, and we have every confidence that James and Peter will ensure a smooth, collaborative transition and continue this work with care.”
In a separate statement, Gunn and Safran said, “Four years ago, we decided to unite DC under one creative vision. During that time, we helped bring ‘Superman’ back to the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with ‘Peacemaker,’ ‘Creature Commandos,’ ‘Lanterns,’ and ‘Clayface.’ We are extremely proud of the team that turned that goal into something real, including the actors, crews and officials we had the opportunity to work with. We’ve shared creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we’re eager to see the vision he brings to DC’s next chapter. “
Latcham will oversee DC film, television and animation. He will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, Co-Chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.
“Jeremy deeply respects DC and its passionate fans, recognizing that they are the foundation of this incredible, multi-generational brand,” said Goldberg and Greenstein. “Under his leadership, every film and television show will be introduced from start to finish through the prism of his legions of fans who love and support him.
At Marvel, Latcham produced several of the company’s biggest hits, including “The Avengers,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Iron Man 2,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which Gunn directed. As an independent producer, his credits include “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “The Breadwinner”.
Latcham faces a huge challenge. DC has suffered from a lack of consistency in its creative direction. The studio was initially led by comic book veterans Geoff Johns and Jon Berg, who were replaced by veteran producer Walter Hamada, before he too was fired. During that time, DC had hits like “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman”, but costly failures like “Justice League” and “The Flash” were affecting them.
When Discovery bought Warner Bros. in 2022, David Zaslav personally courted Gunn and Safran to turn the ship around. But the time was difficult. Comic book movies are very popular, at least those with marquee heroes like Spider-Man or Batman, but audiences have become more interesting. They are less likely to appear for second or third tier characters (see: Supergirl). So it will be up to Latcham to figure out a new strategy to meet the moment, one that builds on Gunn and Safran’s foundation or takes the studio in a different direction.