James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs of DC Studios after a four-year tenure, with former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham slated to take over leadership on December 1, 2026, according to reports by Eurogamer, Omelete, SAPO, and filmSPOT.
Skydance surprised Hollywood by dismissing the executives, though in their joint statement the leadership of Skydance praised their work of “true transformation” and noted that Gunn and Safran will ensure a “smooth transition” and collaboration with the new leader. Unofficial sources assert that “Superman 3” and “Justice League” were already underway, with Gunn and Safran working on the storylines and event chronology up to those films.
- Jeremy Latcham will assume the role of president and creative director of DC Studios starting December 1, 2026, reporting to Skydance executives Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, as reported by filmSPOT and Omelete.
- James Gunn and Peter Safran will transition out of their executive management posts but remain connected to creative projects, with Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow scheduled for a July 8, 2027 release, according to filmSPOT.
- The studio shift follows Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, introducing a new hierarchy and oversight for the division.
The transition arrives following Skydance’s acquisition moves, placing the comic book division under the wider command structure of David Ellison’s corporate group, which brought the DC Studios into the same group as Paramount Pictures, HBO, and CBS following the October completion of the purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Omelete reported that tension grew over autonomy levels and communication regarding production timelines between the previous executive team and Skydance leadership, with sources relating that Gunn and Safran were slow to share information about plans, release schedules, and production materials with Skydance executives.
He worked closely with Feige on foundational entries like The Avengers in 2012 and Guardians of the Galaxy in 2015 alongside James Gunn, as well as serving as executive producer on Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spider-Man: Homecoming, before founding Latcham Pictures in 2017. FilmSPOT reported that Latcham will oversee all theatrical, television, and animation output while reporting directly to Greenstein and Goldberg.
Industry observers note this organizational shift brings tighter corporate oversight to the division compared to the structure that Gunn and Safran previously maintained, with Matt Belloni writing in What I’m Hearing that internally Skydance has already decided to dismantle everything Gunn and Safran built to start the cinematic and streaming universe completely from zero.
| Project / Title | Estimated Budget | Global Box Office | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superman (2025) | Unspecified | $618.7M | Completed / Released |
| Clayface | $44M | $109M | Completed / Released |
| Supergirl | $186M | $126.4M | Theatrical Run Concluded |
Despite the executive overhaul, several high-profile projects currently moving through production remain anchored to the schedule. FilmSPOT confirmed that Man of Tomorrow, written and directed by James Gunn, remains in post-production with a debut date set for July 8, 2027.
Additionally, The Batman Part II continues its production path under Steven Soderbergh, who stepped in to complete principal photography following Matt Reeves’ departure, with a targeted theatrical release on February 17, 2028, while Gunn and Safran also led a new era featuring projects like Supergirl, Clayface, The Penguin, Peacemaker season 2, and Lanterns.
