James Gunn and Peter Safran leave DC Studios: what happens to the DCU now

James Gunn and Peter Safran are leaving their jobs as co-CEOs of DC Studios, and Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham is taking over as president and chief creative officer, according to reports on 9 November. The exit comes after Skydance's purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter both led with the change, and Variety framed it as the pair being out as co-chairmen.

The reports differ slightly on timing. One says Gunn and Safran step down effective 1 December, while another puts it at the end of November 2026. Either way, the handover is weeks away rather than months.

Why are James Gunn and Peter Safran leaving DC Studios?

Nobody has said. Skydance chief David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz praised the pair for launching a new era and leading a period of "real transformation", and the coverage treats that as gratitude rather than a firing, although Variety's headline calls it a firing. The reasons for the change are described as unclear. Gunn's own line was that the goal had been to "unite DC under one creative vision".

Gunn also posted on Instagram on 9 November: "Oh, boy. What a four years." He said he dislikes "the at-times corporate nature of the job", which is as close to an explanation as the public record offers so far.

Who is Jeremy Latcham and what will he run?

Latcham comes from Marvel Studios. Gunn said he and Safran share "a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel" and are "eager to see the perspective he brings to DC's next chapter", per the same report. Latcham called the role "a massive responsibility" that he does "not take lightly", according to the release coverage.

What the reports do not settle is who Latcham answers to. Neither article we reviewed states his reporting line, so we are not guessing at it here.

What happens to Man of Tomorrow and the DCU slate?

Gunn is stepping back from the executive job, not from the work. He says he is returning to writing, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex's story in Man of Tomorrow. According to the second report, he is directing that film, which is slated for 2027, producing Batman: Part II and producing the TV series The People v. Gorilla Grodd, and still working on an unnamed secret DC project.

Gunn's farewell statement credited the team with putting Superman back at the heart of DC and named Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns and Clayface. Supergirl was absent from that list, and the reports do not say whether that means anything. Nothing we could confirm says whether the wider interconnected DCU plan survives under Latcham.

What this means for DC fans

For viewers, the near term looks stable: the films and shows already in motion have Gunn's name attached as writer, director or producer, and he says he is staying creatively involved. The open questions are further out. A new studio chief usually means a fresh look at what gets greenlit next, and Skydance has promised to "double down" for fans without saying on what.

The key thing to watch is the first slate announcement under Latcham, because that will show whether Skydance wants continuity with Gunn's plan or its own version. Until then, treat any claim about a reboot or cancelled project as unconfirmed.

This is a developing story and we will add to it as Skydance and Warner Bros. confirm more. Where the reports disagree, as on the exact date, we have said so.