Who are James Gunn and Peter Safran, and why are the duo leaving DC Studios' leadership roles as Co-CEOs?

James Gunn and Peter Safran have stepped down as Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs at DC Studios. They will be replaced by former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham. He will become the new President and Chief Creative Officer of DC Studios. This will happen on December 1, 2026. This comes after Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in October 2026. Gunn and Safran will return to their creative roles as they will still be involved in some DC projects. This marks a change in leadership for the DC Universe (DCU).

Who is James Gunn?

James Gunn is a renowned American filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He has directed the Marvel series Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad and Superman for DC Studios. He was appointed as co-chairman and co-CEO of the DC Studios in 2022.

Who is Peter Safran?

Peter Safran is an American film and TV producer. He produced The Conjuring series, Aquaman and Shazam!. He had built up a reputation as a horror and superhero film producer before joining DC Studios. He was also a co-chairman and co-CEO of the DC Studios.

Why are James Gunn and Peter Safran stepping down?

James Gunn and Peter Safran have created a complete DC cinematic universe. They also announced plans for the next decade of films and TV. However, their time in the executive roles had mixed results at the box office. The 2025 Superman reboot made over $618 million globally. Supergirl made around $126 million when released in 2026. However, it had a reported budget of $170 million. Clayface made around $109 million globally. It had a reported budget of $44 million.

The company hasn’t stated that they left due to underperforming at the box office. Skydance have said it’s a transition and thanked both executives. There have been reports that running DC Studios was a heavy workload.

Who will replace James Gunn and Peter Safran?

Jeremy Latcham will take the role of President and Chief Creative Officer of DC Studios on December 1, 2026. Latcham joined Marvel Studios in 2004. He rose to Senior Vice-President of Production and Development. He also worked closely with Marvel President Kevin Feige to develop the Marvel Cinematic Universe.