Los Angeles: Filmmaker James Gunn and his producing partner Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs and chairmen of DC Studios, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham appointed as the studio's new president and chief creative officer.
According to Variety, Gunn and Safran's exit from DC comes as a surprise, as they were named part of David Ellison's business leadership team at the newly renamed Skydance following Paramount's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which closed in October.
After four years at the helm of DC Studios, Gunn and Safran are set to return to filmmaking, with Gunn hoping to devote more time to his family and creative projects.
In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram, Gunn spoke about the highs and lows of his time at the studio, thanking Safran and DC fans for their support.
"Oh, boy. What a four years. Thanks to all of you who have supported me and Peter in our time as the heads of DC Studios. When I was a kid growing up in Manchester, Missouri, I used to write and draw my own comics with a mix of DC Comics characters and my own characters. Having full access to these characters to do whatever we wanted has been a dream come true. I didn't know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I just couldn't pass up the unique opportunity. I'm glad I took the job."
"But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is that my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that). I'm always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I've stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years," he said.
Gunn said he was relieved to return to filmmaking, despite missing the people at DC Studios and his role as a "co-caretaker" of its characters.
"So, yes, I will miss the people around me, and I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking," he wrote.
While Gunn said he would miss working with the people at DC Studios, he made it clear that his association with the franchise was far from over.
"That's not to say Peter and I are immediately done with DC or superheroes. We have 'Man of Tomorrow' out this summer. And we've just been engaged on another DC project which I'm writing, and we'll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on," he wrote.
Gunn and Safran took charge of DC Studios in 2022, overseeing the development of a new slate of films and television projects based on DC Comics characters.
During their tenure, the studio released 'Superman', 'Supergirl' and 'Clayface', while expanding its television slate with projects including 'Peacemaker' and 'Lanterns'. Gunn also cited these projects, along with the development of 'Man of Tomorrow', among the best filmmaking experiences of his life.
Gunn and Safran are currently working on 'Man of Tomorrow', scheduled to release in theatres on July 9, 2027. Written and directed by Gunn, the film will serve as a sequel to 2025's 'Superman'.
