Skydance Replaces James Gunn and Peter Safran at DC Studios

By Amara Osei

James Gunn and Peter Safran are out as heads of DC Studios after a four-year run, Skydance said Monday. Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham will replace them as president and chief creative officer of the Skydance-owned studio starting Dec. 1.

The exit was unexpected. Gunn and Safran were listed among the executives tapped to lead the newly combined company after the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. Skydance framed the change as a return to creative work, not an ouster. The pair will "return full time to their creative work," the company said.

"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," Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison and Co-Chief Executive Ynon Kreiz said in a statement. "We're grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand."

The statements praise the slate. They do not explain why leadership changed four weeks before a new chief starts.

What did the Gunn-Safran era actually deliver?

The record was mixed. When the studio appointed the pair in 2022, it tasked them with building a cohesive vision for the DC superhero universe, modeled on rival Marvel Studios' consolidated structure under president Kevin Feige.

The high point came first. 2025's "Superman" grossed more than $618 million worldwide, widely seen as a major boost to DC Studios after years of underperforming superhero fare.

Then came the failures. "Supergirl" flopped this summer with a global gross of just $126.5 million against a reported budget of $170 million, hurt by lukewarm reviews. October's "Clayface," a body horror film about a Batman villain, performed more solidly, earning about $109 million worldwide on a reported budget of roughly $40 million — a cost base analysts noted is closer to horror films than typical superhero releases.

The lesson in the numbers: mid-budget genre bets worked; a $170 million bet did not.

Gunn and Safran will stay attached to future projects. They remain involved with 2027's "Man of Tomorrow," written and directed by Gunn and produced by both, and "The Batman II," which they will produce.

"Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision," Gunn and Safran said in a statement. "We're immensely proud of the team that turned that ambition into something real."

Who is Jeremy Latcham?

Latcham joined Marvel Studios in 2004 and worked closely with Feige to launch Marvel's powerhouse franchise. His credits there include 2008's "Iron Man," 2010's "Iron Man 2," and executive producer roles on 2012's "The Avengers" and 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming." He left Marvel in 2017 to found his own production company, Latcham Pictures.

"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," Latcham said in a statement.

He arrives with franchise-building credentials. He also arrives into a genre that no longer guarantees returns.

What does the change signal for superhero films?

Superhero movies have not been the consistent box office hits they once were, despite breakout successes such as Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." The softness has produced industry-wide concern about the genre.

"DC has had several fits and starts," said Brent Penter, research analyst at Raymond James. "It raises the question of what's the future of the [DC universe] look like?"

Skydance has now answered that question with a leadership bet rather than a strategy memo. Whether a Marvel-trained executive can fix what Marvel's own playbook no longer reliably sells will define DC Studios' next four years.