James Gunn Issues a Statement Following His and Peter Safran's Exit as DC's Studio Heads

A massive executive earthquake just rocked the superhero cinema landscape. Skydance has officially replaced James Gunn and Peter Safran as DC Studios’ heads. Former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham now steps in as president and chief creative officer.

A Sudden Four-Year Executive Run Ends

The unexpected move brings a sudden close to Gunn and Safran’s four-year tenure leading the studio. Together, the pair launched a brand-new DC cinematic universe starting with last summer’s Superman.

Their slate also expanded to include Supergirl, the body-horror flick Clayface, which recently hit theaters. There’s also the HBO streaming series like Lanterns. Moving forward, Latcham brings extensive Marvel production credentials to guide DC’s next chapter.

Gunn Breaks His Silence

Following the shocking announcement, Gunn released a candid statement addressing his departure. Known for his active social media presence, the filmmaker openly reflected on the immense pressure of corporate leadership.

“What only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least,” Gunn shared. Furthermore, he expressed deep relief at stepping away from executive duties to focus entirely on writing and directing.”

Expressing Gratitude and Relief

Despite the grueling corporate demands, Gunn expressed overwhelming gratitude to his collaborator Peter Safran and his passionate fanbase. He described taking the job as a childhood dream come true for a kid growing up drawing comics in Missouri.

“I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job,” Gunn admitted in his statement. Consequently, he noted that his creative hyperfocus suffered while attempting to balance studio management alongside personal filmmaking projects.

The Future of DC Storytelling

While Gunn and Safran are stepping down from their executive roles, they are not cutting ties with DC entirely. The duo is currently finishing post-production on Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which is scheduled for release next summer.

Additionally, Gunn confirmed he is currently writing a brand-new, unannounced DC project. Ultimately, the characters established during their four-year leadership will continue to shape the cinematic universe under Latcham’s new guidance.

James Gunn’s Full Statement

Variety quoted the filmmaker as saying:

“What only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least,” Gunn wrote. “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”

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.

There have been so many highs along the way – releasing Superman and Clayface, making Peacemaker, reading the scripts to The People Vs, the entire process of Man of Tomorrow, which thus far has been the best filmmaking experience of my life, and numerous other moments.

The highest of the highs have been all the talented and wonderful people I’ve worked with and grown to love: the DC Studios crew, our talented collaborators, our casts and crews, and the boisterous and hilarious fans. And the best part of all has been working with Peter Safran, the smartest and most competent person I know. You’ve been the best partner a person could ask for, and, more so, a truly good friend.

But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is 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 (Jenn, I love you and I’m sorry and you don’t need to feel guilty for being the happiest of all people that I’m no longer doing this job). And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I’m incredibly passionate about and the ones I’m not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head.

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

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.

Thank you so very, very much for embracing the characters and stories we’ve put on screen.

Love and gratitude,

James Gunn