James Gunn and Peter Safran relinquish control of DC Studios, a former Marvel employee replaces them

The two producers are leaving the management of the studio after four years at its head, but do not disappear from the DC universe. They will return to a more creative role, while Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham takes over the reins.

Casting change at the head of DC Studios.

James Gunn and Peter Safran will step down as co-presidents and executives of the studio effective December 1.

But – for now – the two men are not leaving the DC universe for good. They will simply cede management of the division to Jeremy Latcham, a former Marvel executive, to devote more time to their activity as producers and creators.

Appointed in 2022 by David Zaslav, then boss of Warner Bros. Discovery, Gunn and Safran’s mission was to put the DC Universe back on its feet and make it a credible competitor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Four years later, their results are mixed.

The launch of this new era with Supermandirected by Gunn, was a relative commercial success grossing $650 million, while the results of subsequent films were more uneven. The duo also developed the DC adaptations for television, with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos And Lanterns.

Their departure from management comes in the context of the merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, finalized last October. The two producers had, however, been integrated into David Ellison’s management team within Skydance. They will nevertheless continue to work on DC projects, starting with Superman: Man of Tomorrowthe next Clark Kent adventure written and directed by James Gunn.

In a joint press release, the two men took stock of their mandate:

“Four years ago, we made it our mission to bring DC together around a shared creative vision. Since then, we’ve helped put Superman back at the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television. We can’t wait to get back to what attracted us to this profession in the first place: telling the stories we love.“

Who is Jeremy Latcham, the new boss of DC Studios?

To take over from them, Jeremy Latcham has a particularly extensive CV in superhero cinema. Joining Marvel Studios in 2004, he rose through the ranks to Senior Vice President of Production and Development, working closely with Kevin Feige to build the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was notably executive producer of Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy And Spider-Man: Homecomingafter having participated in the production of the first two Iron Man.

Left Marvel in 2017 to found his own production company, he then produced Bad times at the El Royale hotel And Dungeons & Dragons: Thieves’ Honor. He will now be responsible for supervising all DC Studios projects, in cinema, television and animation, from their development to their production. He will report directly to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-presidents of Skydance Motion Picture Group. He rejoices:

“The pantheon of DC characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture. I’ve had the privilege of helping bring some of the most famous superhero stories to the big screen, and I’m both excited and honored to now take the helm of DC Studios to begin a new chapter in its history. Bringing this incredible catalog of characters to life on screen, in a way that delights longtime fans while introducing these timeless stories to a new generation, is an immense responsibility that I do not take lightly.”

Will James Gunn and Peter Safran stay?

For the moment, it is not clearly stated that the duo in place until now was dismissed from their positions by higher authority, following the arrival of a new boss at Warner Bros. and/or due to the (too) poor box office results of the new DC Universe films. But that’s still what we understand between the lines…

David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz praised the work of James Gunn and Peter Safran, who “launched a new era for DC Studios and accompanied the studio through a period of profound transformation. We are grateful for their passion, contribution and commitment to this legendary brand“. Then in this laconic press release, they welcome the arrival of the appointed successor: “We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and further strengthen our engagement with fans.” Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-presidents of Skydance Motion Picture Group, added:

“Jeremy has a deep respect for DC and its passionate fan community. He knows that this constitutes the very basis of this legendary brand, which spans generations. Under his leadership, each film and series will be taken from conception to completion with the millions of fans who love and champion them in mind. His career testifies to the excellence that he will bring to the development of DC and its many emblematic characters..”

The studio’s next opuses should be completed. The calendar is already full: Superman: Man of Tomorrowstill worn by James Gunn, is expected next summer, then the series The People v. Gorilla Grodd on HBO Max, not to mention The Batman: Part IIin 2028. It remains to be seen what direction Jeremy Latcham will give to this universe now placed under his responsibility. And if James Gunn and Peter Safran will continue to build their DC Universe after this…