James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen of DC Studios, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham appointed as the studio’s new president and chief creative officer. After four years of leading DC’s creative direction, Gunn and Safran will return to full-time filmmaking and storytelling.
James Gunn and Peter Safran step down as Jeremy Latcham takes over DC Studios
The leadership change comes as a surprise. Gunn and Safran were recently named to David Ellison’s business leadership team at Skydance. The announcement followed Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which closed in October.
Former Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav appointed the duo in 2022. They were tasked with building a serious competitor to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their tenure brought a reboot of DC’s film and television slate. Superman earned $618 million globally. However, Supergirl underperformed, earning $126 million against a $170 million budget, according to Variety.
Meanwhile, Clayface earned $109 million on a $44 million budget. They also expanded DC’s presence on streaming with Peacemaker and Lanterns.
In a joint statement, Gunn and Safran said, “Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision.” They expressed pride in the projects delivered during their leadership and welcomed Latcham. The trio share a creative history dating back to Marvel. The pair will also continue working on stories they love, including Gunn’s upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Meanwhile, David Ellison and Skydance co-CEO Ynon Kreiz credited them with “[launching] a new era for DC Studios and [leading] it through a period of real transformation.” They also expressed confidence in a smooth leadership transition.
Latcham brings considerable experience from his time at Marvel. His credits include Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He will report to Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.
Latcham called DC’s characters “among the most iconic in American popular culture.” He said he was “excited and honored” to lead the studio into its next era. He also pledged to work with filmmakers, comic book creators and artists. His goal is to develop stories for longtime fans and new audiences.
