Since the news broke that James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as the heads of DC Studios, the question on every fan’s mind has been “why?”. A detailed report from The Hollywood Reporter, notably based on mostly unnamed sources, offers our most complete picture yet. None of it has been confirmed by the studio, so take all of this with a grain of Kryptonian salt.
You can read James Gunn’s full statement on leaving the studio here.
A meeting on Friday
According to THR’s sources, Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz visited Gunn and Safran’s offices on the Warner Bros. lot on Friday 6 November. The DC heads were reportedly told that, despite earlier assurances about their place in the merged company, plans had changed. THR says they had felt secure after surviving the merger, buoyed by Clayface, which it describes as a “modest success” at over $100 million worldwide against a $44 million budget, and by Gunn wrapping production on Man of Tomorrow.
Reporting lines
The report’s central claim is a clash over structure. Before the takeover, Gunn and Safran reportedly reported directly to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, and their contracts supposedly protected that arrangement. Skydance’s Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, who co-chair the Skydance Motion Picture Group, are said to be consolidating film production under their leadership. Sources say the DC pair were used to having “the final word” on films, TV and animation, and weren’t prepared to be placed beneath another layer.
THR also cites sources saying Gunn and Safran were slow to share slate plans and footage with the new film chiefs, and that Ellison never wanted DC reporting to him in the first place.
The numbers
Finances reportedly played a part too. THR says the new regime saw Supergirl as a disaster, and that even Superman, which grossed $618 million worldwide and was profitable, fell short of what Skydance expected in terms of returns and cultural impact.
Enter Jeremy Latcham
Latcham, who will report to Greenstein and Goldberg, was an early Marvel Studios employee and later Kevin Feige’s right-hand man. THR notes that he advocated for Gunn’s hiring on Guardians of the Galaxy, and that sources describe him as a “down the middle” producer aiming to make broad hits. In recent years he has worked independently, including on Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. THR says he and Gunn had not yet spoken about the transition when the news went public.
What’s still unclear
THR says it’s uncertain whether Gunn will get to complete his plans for Superman, let alone the wider DC slate announced in 2022. Gunn himself has said he’s “incredibly relieved” to return to filmmaking, and we’ve covered his full statement here as well as the news itself.
We’ll keep you updated as more emerges.
