Just four years after James Gunn and Peter Safran took control of the DC cinematic, television, and animation universe, the co-CEOs of DC Studios are stepping down. Parent company Skydance, which recently acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, announced the move on Monday, saying that Gunn and Safran will "ensure a smooth, collaborative transition" to new leadership.
In their stead, a longtime Marvel Studios exec will be stepping in to oversee the new DCU. In that time, we helped restore Superman to the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns, and Clayface,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement. We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand," Skydance CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said in a statement.
Taking over for Gunn and Safran at DC Studios is Jeremy Latcham, formerly of Marvel Studios, where he served as senior VP of production and development. Latcham's producer credits include some of Marvel's earliest hit films, including Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. "Jeremy has been a longtime creative partner to both, and we have complete confidence that James and Peter will ensure a smooth, collaborative transition and continue this work with care," Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said.
"We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and to doubling down on our commitment to fans.” "We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we’re eager to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter," added Gunn and Safran. "We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in Man of Tomorrow.” “DC’s pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture,” said Latcham in a statement. The chance to steward the incredible cast of DC characters to the screen in a way that excites lifelong fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation is a massive responsibility that I do not take lightly.” Gunn and Safran laid out an ambitious slate of projects for their new DCU in 2024, laying out the next decade of films, TV shows, animated specials, and gaming projects that would unify DC's comics properties.
Some of those projects have come to fruition and found success, such as Superman and Lanterns. Other projects, namely Supergirl, were less successful, and other unplanned expansions of the DCU (e.g., Clayface) showed that Gunn and company were willing to alter their plans. It's unclear at this stage how much of Gunn's creative vision will be maintained beyond in-development projects like Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow and TV series The People v.
But it's sure to be another exciting era for the DC cinematic universe, however plans change.
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