James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs and chairmen of DC Studios, Skydance announced in a press release, handing leadership of the DC Universe to Jeremy Latcham. Their last day as studio heads is set for December 1. Latcham, a former Marvel production and development executive, will serve as president and chief creative officer, taking responsibility for the creative direction of the franchise.
Gunn and Safran will not leave the franchise entirely. They remain on Man of Tomorrow in post-production and will stay on as producers on ongoing DC projects, including The Batman Part II. Gunn has said that he and Safran are working on another DC project, though he has not detailed it in the reporting available. Their continued involvement suggests a transition in which their existing productions are carried through rather than abandoned.
The change comes shortly after the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger was approved, and after layoffs among Warner Bros. executives. Reporting suggests the pair were pushed out, although the companies describe the move as the two stepping away. Neither side has officially explained the reasons for the departure, and the direction of the DC Universe under Latcham remains unknown.
The studio's record under Gunn and Safran has been mixed. Superman was a box-office hit, though critics were divided on it. Supergirl was a commercial flop. Clayface was regarded as a win on a modest budget, while the television expansions Lanterns and Peacemaker were well received by audiences and critics alike. Plans for Batman, Wonder Woman and Justice League remain unclear, and the Swamp Thing project has stalled.
Gunn had recently spoken about casting a new Batman and about the planned canon of the DC Universe, which makes the leadership change a notable turn for the franchise's creative direction. Speculation has also circulated about a possible link between the shakeup and reports that Robert Pattinson is connected to a James Bond role. That connection is unconfirmed and is not part of any official statement from the companies.
For Skydance and the newly combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery operations, the decision places the future of one of the industry's most closely watched franchises in the hands of a new creative leader. Whether Latcham will keep the current slate of films and series on its announced path, or reshape it, is the central question facing the studio in the months ahead.