Bombshell at DC: James Gunn must step down as studio head
After four years, it's over: James Gunn and Peter Safran must step down from leading DC Studios. A former Marvel executive is taking over, of all people. What does this mean for Gunn's young DC Universe?
This is something very few people likely expected: James Gunn and Peter Safran are out of their jobs as heads of DC Studios. As reported by the industry magazine Deadline, former Marvel producer Jeremy Latcham will take over leadership of the superhero studio starting December 1, 2026. However, Gunn and Safran will remain with DC as filmmakers and producers.
Source: Shutterstock
It was only in October that Deadline reported that Gunn and Safran would remain in office even after the multi-billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. by Paramount Skydance. Now, the new corporate management is apparently pulling the plug after all. Why exactly is not known. The change in leadership has not yet been officially explained.
However, the decision does not come entirely out of the blue. Back in October 2025, when Warner Bros. Discovery was officially up for sale, I reported on rumors that Gunn could lose his post in the event of a change of ownership. At the time, the question was whether the new DC Universe would meet financial expectations. A year later, the answer is likely "No": Warner has a new owner – and DC has a new boss.
A Marvel veteran takes over the DC Universe
With Jeremy Latcham, it is not a stranger taking over. He was one of the defining producers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and worked closely with Marvel boss Kevin Feige. Among other things, he was involved in "Iron Man", "The Avengers", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", and "Guardians of the Galaxy". On the latter, he already worked with James Gunn.
Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images
It is Latcham of all people who is now supposed to further develop the DC Universe that Gunn and Safran have been building since 2022 with an ambitious ten-year plan. Under the title "Gods and Monsters", the two wanted to link films, series, and animations into a cohesive story – similar to Marvel, but with their own creative signature.
The track record so far is mixed. While Gunn's "Superman" grossed around 619 million dollars worldwide, it failed to land the hoped-for breakthrough. The much cheaper horror film "Clayface" is well-received by critics, but only stands at 109 million dollars. In contrast, "Supergirl" proved to be a real flop with only 126 million dollars in box office receipts against a production budget of 186 million dollars. Only HBO's "Lanterns" series has recently provided good ratings.
Whether these rather lackluster numbers were the deciding factor for the change in leadership remains speculation.
James Gunn: "I am incredibly relieved"
Gunn himself is now putting a brave face on the situation and commented on his departure in a detailed statement. In it, he looks back on the past four years with pride, but also critically.
Specifically, he says that his time as studio head was, to put it mildly, exhausting. He was particularly burdened by the sometimes bureaucratic nature of his job. The dual burden of being a creative head and a manager also cost him a lot of time with his family. He also found it difficult to divide his attention between passion projects and less appealing tasks.
"I am incredibly relieved and look forward to making movies exclusively again," writes Gunn.
Source: Marvel Studios
He is not saying goodbye to DC entirely, however. His next Superman film "Man of Tomorrow" with David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027. In addition, Gunn reveals that he is already writing another, as-yet-secret DC project.
What does this mean for the future of DC?
This is exactly where the big unknown lies. Gunn and Safran had announced numerous films and series at the beginning of 2023, including "The Brave and the Bold", "Swamp Thing", "The Authority", and "Booster Gold". Some of these have been stuck in development for years. Whether Latcham will stick to all the plans is open.
The renewed change in leadership is likely to trigger mixed feelings among many DC fans. On the one hand, Latcham brings plenty of experience – after all, he was involved in building the most successful connected film universe in cinema history. On the other hand, DC is getting new leadership yet again, even though the universe built by Gunn is only just beginning to unfold.
Gunn was brought in in 2022 to finally give DC a clear direction after years of creative course changes. Four years later, the studio is once again facing a change of direction. Somehow tragic.
I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
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