Los Angeles, Filmmaker James Gunn and his producing partner Peter Safran have stepped down as CEOs and chairman of DC Studios and they will be replaced by Jeremy Latcham in a surprise executive shuffle at the company.
According to Variety, Gunn and Safran's exit from DC is unexpected as they were named as part of David Ellison's business leadership team at the newly renamed Skydance when Paramount's USDv111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery had closed in October.
Gunn and Safran will return to filmmaking after four years as the DC Studios heads.
Deep Dive
Why did James Gunn step down as head of DC Studios?
Who is replacing James Gunn and Peter Safran at DC Studios?
Will James Gunn continue working on DC projects after stepping down?
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Suicide Squad" director is not mourning the loss of his executive job as he hopes to divide his time between family and filmmaking.
In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram, Gunn spoke about the highs and lows he experienced during his time at the studio as he thanked Safran and DC fans for their support.
"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.
"But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is that my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least.. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job . 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," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is that my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least.. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job . 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," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Gunn said he was relieved to be returning to "pure filmmaking" without the looming worries of being 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," he wrote.
Among the highlights of his tenure, Gunn described the release of "Superman" and "Clayface", the series "Peacemaker" and the development of "Man of Tomorrow" as the best filmmaking experiences of his life so far.
While Gunn said he would miss working with the people at DC Studios and being a "co-caretaker of these great characters", he made it clear that his association with the franchise is far from over.
"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," he wrote.
Gunn and Safran took charge of DC Studios in 2022, overseeing the development of a new slate of films and television projects based on the DC Comics characters.
The duo revamped the struggling DC Universe and oversaw the release of three films - "Superman", "Supergirl" and "Clayface" alongside three live-action series, "The Penguin", "Peacemaker Season 2" and "Lanterns".
Gunn and Safran are currently working on "Man of Tomorrow", which is scheduled to release in theaters on July 9, 2027. Written and directed by Gunn, the film will serve as a follow-up to 2025's "Superman".
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