Nobody saw this coming. James Gunn leaves DC Studios, and he’s not going alone: Peter Safran is stepping down too. The two had run the studio since late 2022 and were the ones who launched DC’s new cinematic universe, the DCU. Taking their place is Jeremy Latcham, an executive who spent almost his entire career at Marvel Studios.
The news broke today, November 9, and the change takes effect on December 1. It comes right after Skydance, David Ellison’s company, took control of Warner Bros. Discovery and, with it, DC.
How It All Started: The DCU Announcement
To understand the impact of this news, you have to go back to January 2023. That month, Gunn presented the first chapter of the new DCU, titled “Gods and Monsters,” in this video, with movies and series all connected to each other:
The idea was to unite DC’s film, TV and animation under one creative vision and move past the Zack Snyder era. Over these four years, they released three movies, Superman, Supergirl and Clayface, and three live-action series: The Penguin, Peacemaker season 2 and Lanterns.
The results were mixed. Superman was a hit, Clayface earned strong reviews and is making money, but Supergirl bombed both critically and commercially.
Why James Gunn Leaves DC Studios
Officially, both want to go back to focusing fully on creative work. Here’s how they said goodbye in their statement:
“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. […] We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love.”
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood is already wondering whether they chose to move on or were pushed out. Things seemed to be going well with the new owners: before the merger, Ellison visited the Man of Tomorrow set and, according to THR’s sources, when Gunn and Safran presented their plans, he told them to keep doing what they were doing. That’s why the news came as such a surprise.
Who Is Jeremy Latcham?
Jeremy Latcham will be the new president and chief creative officer of DC Studios, overseeing DC’s film, TV and animation slate. He was one of Marvel Studios’ earliest employees, joining in 2004 and rising to senior vice president of production and development. For years, he was Kevin Feige’s right-hand man.
His credits include Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy, where he worked with Gunn himself. So he’s no stranger to him.
There’s an important structural change, too: Latcham won’t report directly to the head of the company, as Gunn and Safran did, but to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.
What Happens to the DCU Now That James Gunn Leaves DC Studios?
Gunn and Safran aren’t disappearing entirely. They’ll stay attached to a few major projects:
- Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel written and directed by Gunn, is in post-production and arrives next year.
- The People v. Gorilla Grodd, the spinoff series, is also in post-production.
- The Batman: Part II, set for 2028, still has both as producers.
What’s unclear is what happens to the rest of their plans, which spanned nearly a decade. Latcham could keep the connected universe or change it completely, as happened with Snyder’s DCEU.
In my opinion, it would be a shame for the DCU to start over again. Superman and Clayface proved Gunn’s plan could work, and another reboot would only wear fans out.
What do you think? Will the DCU keep going without Gunn and Safran in charge? Let me know in the comments, and follow me as josegeek on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more movie news.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
