James Gunn and Peter Safran are leaving their leadership roles at DC Studios, and former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham is taking over from 1 December. Honestly, I'm gutted. Like a lot of DC fans, I'd been hoping Gunn's time in charge would bring the epic rebirth the DCU deserved, with his strengths as a filmmaker backed by real power at the top. Here's what's confirmed so far, and what isn't.

What's happened at DC Studios

Gunn and Safran took on DC's film, TV and animation business in October 2022, according to Cartoon Brew. Gunn handled creative direction while Safran looked after business and production. Gunn's switch from Marvel to DC felt like the start of a whole new era for the characters, which is why this one stings.

Latcham succeeds them as President and Chief Creative Officer from 1 December, as Empire reported. Film, TV and animation will all sit with him, and he answers to the new Skydance leadership. Empire notes he has plenty of experience bringing big comic book franchises to the screen.

Reports don't agree on how the exit happened. Empire says The Hollywood Reporter describes Gunn and Safran as stepping down, while Variety says they were fired. Variety's headline frames the story around spending, losses and audience numbers, though I've only seen the opening of that piece, so I can't say more about its reporting.

The official statement from Skydance's David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, as quoted by SlashFilm, thanks the pair for leading DC Studios "through a period of real transformation". SlashFilm also points out the timing is a surprise, since Gunn and Safran had recently signalled that Ellison seemed keen to keep them on.

Clayface artwork: a man's face half turned to red clay above a hooded figure and a red city skyline
Official Clayface artwork. Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures / DC Studios

What Gunn has said

Cartoon Brew says Gunn posted a long message on Instagram. He said he'll miss looking after the characters, but is "incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking". He also said he's not a fan of the corporate side of the job, and that he and Safran are still involved creatively, including on an extra project he's writing.

What it means for the DC slate

Empire reports that Gunn and Safran will keep working on Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel, which Gunn is writing and directing again. David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult are back as Superman and Lex Luthor. SlashFilm says it's still due next year.

Nobody yet knows whether Latcham will stick with Gunn's connected DC Universe. Empire lists what it covers so far:

  • Peacemaker
  • Creature Commandos
  • Superman
  • Supergirl
  • Lanterns
  • Clayface, the recently released horror film

Empire says the HBO series The People V. Gorilla Grodd is in production, with Skyler Gisondo back as Jimmy Olsen, and SlashFilm mentions a Poison Ivy series in development.

For context, Empire puts Superman at more than $618 million at the box office, Supergirl at $126 million and Clayface at $109 million so far. Cartoon Brew adds that Gunn's plan had animation sharing continuity with the live-action projects, and that its long-term future is now an open question.

That's the sad part for me. Not every recent release has performed the way fans hoped, and it would have been really special to watch Gunn carry his DCU plan all the way through.

Latcham takes over on 1 December, so we'll know more about the DCU's direction soon. The film I'll miss most is one we'll now never get: Gunn's version of the Justice League. Which part of his plan were you most excited for?