Big changes are underway in Hollywood. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down from their leadership positions. According to reports citing Variety, Jeremy Latcham will be taking over as President and Chief Creative Officer.
Former Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav appointed the pair in 2022 with orders to build a franchise to rival Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. They rebooted the comic division and took stories to streaming with 'Peacemaker' and 'Lanterns' for HBO Max.
Mixed Box Office Runs and Corporate Changes
Their reboot journey saw mixed fortunes at the cinemas. 'Superman' proved to be a relative win, pulling in USD 618 million worldwide. However, 'Supergirl' bombed hard, taking only USD 126 million against a USD 170 million budget. Meanwhile, the R-rated thriller 'Clayface' managed a modest USD 109 million from its USD 44 million cost.
The exit has stunned many because both leaders were recently placed on David Ellison's leadership team at Skydance, following Paramount's USD 111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery in October.
“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.”James Gunn
Gunn Speaks Out on Corporate Stress
Taking to social media, James Gunn admitted the corporate role took an emotional toll, noting that his four years as studio head were trying. He stated he disliked the corporate side of running the studio and felt he lost precious downtime with his family.
Now, both Gunn and Safran are expected to return their attention entirely to creative work.
What happens next
Gunn and Safran will officially step down from their leadership roles at DC Studios effective December 1, after which they are expected to shift full-time to creative projects.
