James Gunn and Peter Safran Exit DC Studios, Replaced by Jeremy Latcham

James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-heads of DC Studios, marking a sudden leadership shake-up that installs former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham as president and chief creative officer effective December 1, 2026. The transition arrives just weeks after Skydance finalized its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and shortly after David Ellison met with Gunn and Safran in early October, urging them to stay the course.

From Public Assurances to Studio Overhaul

The timing of the departure contradicts public expectations set in mid-October, when Safran expressed confidence that Skydance understood their ambitions and Ellison told the duo to keep doing what they were doing. During the Clayface premiere, Gunn explained that Ellison had been briefed on the franchise's future projects. Yet that reassurance dissolved into a major studio transition, though it remains unclear whether Gunn and Safran independently decided to step down or were encouraged to leave their executive positions.

Skydance leadership struck a diplomatic tone regarding the departure. David Ellison, Chairman and CEO, and Ynon Kreiz, Co-CEO of Skydance, said in a joint statement carried by Yahoo:

James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we're incredibly proud of.

David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, via Yahoo

Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein praised Latcham's background, stating, Jeremy brings a deep reverence for DC and its passionate fanbase, recognizing that they are the very foundation of this storied, multigenerational brand. According to Reuters, Latcham will report to Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

Weighing the Triumphs and Pressures of the Gunn Era

The four-year tenure of Gunn and Safran brought both commercial hits and misfires since David Zaslav tapped them in late 2022. Gunn directed Superman, which grossed more than $618 million worldwide and became Warner Bros.' second-biggest release of its year, alongside the hit HBO series Lanterns and Peacemaker. Those wins were paired with the commercial failure of Supergirl and the modest performance of the R-rated body horror film Clayface, which opened to $24 million at the box office.

Following the announcement, Gunn issued a personal statement on social media reflecting on his time running the studio. He acknowledged that the job had been trying and exhausting:

The thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I’m incredibly passionate about and the ones I’m not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head.

James Gunn, via Instagram and Entertainment Weekly

Gunn admitted he disliked the corporate side of the post, thanking Peter Safran for taking the brunt of that responsibility, and declared himself incredibly relieved to return to pure filmmaking. He also apologized to his wife, Jennifer Holland, for sacrificing time with loved ones over the past four years. Gunn highlighted highlights such as releasing Superman and Clayface, making Peacemaker, reading scripts to The People Vs, and the entire process of Man of Tomorrow, which he called the best filmmaking experience of his life. Noticeably absent from his list of highlights was Supergirl.

Who is Jeremy Latcham and What Does He Inherit?

Latcham arrives with a pedigree from the formative years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe under Kevin Feige, where he joined in 2004 and produced The Avengers, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Iron Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy, which Gunn directed. He inherits a storied stable of characters that includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Joker, Aquaman, and The Flash. In a statement reported by Gizmodo, Latcham said:

The chance to steward the incredible cast of DC characters to the screen in a way that excites lifelong fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation is a massive responsibility that I do not take lightly.

Jeremy Latcham, via Gizmodo

Prior to this era, DC suffered from inconsistent creative direction under Geoff Johns, Jon Berg, and Walter Hamada, yielding commercial hits like Aquaman alongside costly failures such as Justice League and The Flash.

The Future of the Gunn-Era Slate

Gunn and Safran are not cutting ties with DC entirely. Gunn is in post-production on the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for release on July 9, 2027. Gunn confirmed that he and Safran have just been engaged on another DC project which he is writing, and they will see where it goes after that. Other projects on the horizon include the 2027 mini-series The People v Gorilla Grodd, anchored by Skyler Gisondo as Superman, and The Batman Part II with Robert Pattinson, set for 2028. Gunn and Safran offered their support for the incoming chief in their joint statement via Yahoo, noting, We've shared a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we're eager to see the perspective he brings to DC's next chapter.

Swapping creative regimes mid-stream leaves Latcham to reconcile existing continuity with fresh corporate mandates by December 1, 2026. The shift replaces an outgoing administration that leaned heavily on visible public defense of its roadmap with a foundational Marvel producer, raising questions of whether Latcham will preserve Gunn's interconnected universe or reshape the franchise.