James Gunn and Peter Safran Step Down at DC Studios as Marvel Veteran Jeremy Latcham Takes Over
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James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as the co-chiefs of DC Studios after four years in charge, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham taking over as president and chief creative officer from Tuesday 1 December 2026.
Skydance Motion Picture Group announced the change on Monday 9 November 2026. The searches driving the story today are arriving under the name of Frank Grillo, who plays Rick Flag Sr. across the new DC Universe, as fans work through what the shake-up means for the films and series already in motion.
James Gunn DC Studios Exit — Quick Reference Summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Studio | DC Studios |
| Outgoing co-chairs and co-CEOs | James Gunn and Peter Safran |
| Incoming president and chief creative officer | Jeremy Latcham |
| Handover date | Tuesday 1 December 2026 |
| Announcement date | Monday 9 November 2026 |
| Announced by | Skydance Motion Picture Group |
| Gunn and Safran’s tenure | Four years, from November 2022 |
| Latcham reports to | Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs, Skydance Motion Picture Group |
| Gunn’s next project | Man of Tomorrow, Superman sequel, due 9 July 2027 |
| The Batman Part II | Due 18 February 2028 |
| The Dynamic Duo | Animated Robins origin film, due 22 September 2028 |
| Superman (2025) worldwide box office | $618 million |
| The Batman (2022) worldwide box office | $772 million |
Why Gunn and Safran Are Leaving After Four Years
Gunn and Safran were appointed to run DC Studios in November 2022 by then Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav, with a brief to rebuild the company’s film and television output around one connected universe. Their exit comes only weeks after Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closed in October 2026, and it caught Hollywood by surprise because the pair had initially been kept on Skydance chief David Ellison’s leadership team.
Gunn has been candid about the strain of the job. In a farewell message shared on Threads and Instagram, he described the past four years as “trying, to say the least”, thanked Safran and the DC Studios crew, and said he was “incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking”. He also thanked his wife, actor Jennifer Holland, for the time the role took from their family life. The pair will return to full-time creative work rather than leaving the DC universe altogether.
Who Jeremy Latcham Is and What He Brings From Marvel
Latcham is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s earliest executives. He served as senior vice president of production and development at Marvel Studios, was an associate producer and co-producer on Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2, and worked as an executive producer on The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. He later left Marvel in 2017 to start his own production company and produced Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).
The appointment carries an irony fans have been quick to spot: Latcham championed Gunn’s hiring at Marvel years ago, and the two worked together on Guardians of the Galaxy. Skydance chairman and chief executive David Ellison and co-chief executive Ynon Kreiz said in a statement that Latcham was a longtime creative partner to both men and that they had complete confidence the outgoing pair would ensure a smooth, collaborative transition.
What Latcham Inherits on 1 December
The James Gunn DC Studios era leaves behind a slate that is large, uneven and mostly unfinished. According to Deadline’s rundown of what the incoming boss inherits, Gunn and Safran’s “Gods and Monsters” plan, unveiled in January 2023, was about 40% realised: the films Superman and Supergirl were made, along with the television series Lanterns and Creature Commandos.
Several early pitches never got off the ground. The Paradise Lost and Booster Gold series stalled, as did the antihero team film The Authority, and James Mangold’s Swamp Thing is no longer a priority for the director, who is now focused on his Copland series for Paramount+. In the run-up to the takeover, Gunn and Safran greenlit no live-action feature films beyond those already in production, so only three films are moving forward.
The Three Films Still Moving Forward
The most advanced is Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel Gunn wrote and directed, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult. It is in post-production and is scheduled to reach cinemas on Friday 9 July 2027, with Gunn and Safran staying attached to see it through. Gunn has also said he is writing another DC screenplay set after Man of Tomorrow, although whether it gets made will now be Latcham’s call.
The Batman Part II, the sequel to Matt Reeves’s 2022 film, is being finished in London by Steven Soderbergh after Reeves stepped away for personal reasons. It is due in cinemas on Friday 18 February 2028. The third film is The Dynamic Duo, an animated origin story about the Robins directed by Arthur Mintz, which uses a hybrid of computer animation, stop-motion and live performance and is due on Friday 22 September 2028.
The Television and Animation Pile
Most of what Latcham inherits is television and animation, and much of it has no confirmed home yet. Bat-Fam premiered its first season on Prime Video in November 2025, with the second half still to air, while Batman: Caped Crusader has two seasons on Prime Video and is awaiting renewal. Creature Commandos is in production on a second season, and the HBO half-hour comedy The People vs. Gorilla Grodd, spun off from Gunn’s Superman, is in post-production with no air date.
Other projects in various stages include the three-part animated feature Batman: Knightfall, the animated series DC Super Powers and Mister Miracle, and Joker: Laugh Riot, an anime series that has been greenlit and will be taken to market. Deadline reports that Skydance co-chief executive David Ellison has given Latcham no mandates about which projects to prioritise, so the first decisions of his tenure will set the direction of the whole slate.
What the Shake-Up Means for Superman and Batman
For now, the immediate future of the two biggest characters looks secure. Superman, the first film of the Gunn-Safran era, earned $618 million worldwide and strong reviews, and its sequel is already shot and in post-production. The Batman Part II is being completed by an Oscar-winning director, and both Gunn and Safran remain attached as producers. Neither project has been cancelled or recast, and no announcement has suggested the current DC Universe will be rebooted.
The open question is what happens to everything else. The outgoing pair were known for refusing to rush projects into production before scripts were ready, a discipline that left several announced titles stalled for years. Whether Latcham keeps that approach or clears the decks will become clear once he starts on 1 December and begins sorting through the slate he has been handed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are James Gunn and Peter Safran leaving DC Studios?
Skydance Motion Picture Group announced on Monday 9 November 2026 that the pair are stepping down as co-chairmen and co-CEOs after four years, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham taking over from 1 December 2026. Both are returning to full-time creative work.
Who is Jeremy Latcham?
A former Marvel Studios executive who served as senior vice president of production and development, worked on Iron Man, The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, and produced Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. He becomes DC Studios president and chief creative officer on 1 December 2026.
When does Jeremy Latcham start at DC Studios?
He starts on Tuesday 1 December 2026 and will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.
Is Man of Tomorrow still happening?
Yes. The Superman sequel, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, is in post-production and is due in cinemas on Friday 9 July 2027.
What happens to The Batman Part II?
It is still moving forward. Matt Reeves stepped away for personal reasons and Steven Soderbergh is finishing the film in London, with a cinema release due on Friday 18 February 2028.
Why is Frank Grillo trending over this story?
Grillo plays Rick Flag Sr. across the new DC Universe, and searches under his name are carrying the coverage of Deadline’s rundown of the slate Latcham inherits from the Gunn-Safran era.
Will the DC Universe be rebooted?
There has been no announcement of a reboot or of cancellations to the current slate. Gunn and Safran remain attached to Man of Tomorrow and The Batman Part II.
Myths and Facts
Myth: James Gunn has left DC altogether.
Fact: Gunn is stepping down as co-chief, not leaving the universe. He is finishing Man of Tomorrow and writing another DC project.
Myth: Latcham was hired to cancel the current DC slate.
Fact: No cancellations have been announced, and Skydance has given Latcham no mandates about which projects to prioritise.
Myth: The Batman Part II has been scrapped after Matt Reeves stepped away.
Fact: Steven Soderbergh is finishing the film in London and it is due in cinemas on 18 February 2028.
Myth: Gunn was fired after Superman underperformed.
Fact: Superman earned $618 million worldwide with strong reviews, and Gunn said he was relieved to return to filmmaking after a demanding four years as a studio chief.
