James Gunn and Peter Safran Out at DC Studios; Jeremy Latcham Takes Over

An unexpected shake-up is rocking the DC Studios universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran, who led DC's film and television division for four years, were removed from their positions last Friday, November 6. The decision, which caught many in the industry by surprise, was communicated by Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz at the Warner Bros. offices in Burbank, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Gunn and Safran's replacement is Jeremy Latcham, a producer with a remarkable career that includes being a key figure on Marvel Studios' executive team. Latcham, who previously advocated for Gunn's hiring to direct Guardians of the Galaxy, now takes on a leadership role at the competitor, promising a different approach for future DC productions.

An Unexpected Exit for a Seemingly Consolidated Team

The news of Gunn and Safran's departure comes at a time when the duo seemed to be solidifying their position under the new Skydance regime. They had survived a merger that cost other Warner Bros. executives their jobs and were enjoying the modest success of Clayface, a horror film that grossed over $100 million worldwide on a $44 million budget, according to The Hollywood Reporter. There was even talk of producing more DC films with a darker tone and tighter budgets.

Gunn had also wrapped production on Man of Tomorrow, his Superman sequel, slated for a July 2027 release. Sources close to the production indicated he was writing a third installment, with plans to release a Superman movie every two years, which could have evolved into a Justice League team-up. However, all these plans are now in limbo following the leadership change.

Internal Tensions and Skydance's Vision

The decision to remove Gunn and Safran was not sudden but had been brewing since early fall and was precipitated by contact between Josh Greenstein, co-chair of Skydance Motion Picture Group, and Jeremy Latcham. Sources point to several points of tension between DC's Gunn and Safran and Skydance's Greenstein and Dana Goldberg.

One of the main points of friction was the reporting structure. Gunn and Safran reported directly to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, and their contracts stipulated they would maintain that direct line with the new leadership, in this case, Skydance's David Ellison. This clashed with Greenstein and Goldberg's plans to consolidate all motion picture production under their leadership. Gunn and Safran were accustomed to having significant control over all aspects of DC products, from movies to TV shows and animation, and were not keen on seeing their authority diluted.

Additionally, there were complaints that the DC heads were not timely in sharing their plans, slate details, or footage with Skydance executives. Another perspective, according to an insider, is that David Ellison never wanted DC to report directly to him and didn't have time for internal studio politics. This was compounded by concerns over DC's financial performance; although Superman grossed $618 million worldwide and was profitable, Skydance felt it lacked the expected cultural impact, and deemed Supergirl a