Four years after entering the role, James Gunn is stepping down as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran

James Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran are stepping down from their leadership roles at DC Studios on December 1, 2026, with former Marvel Studios producer Jeremy Latcham taking over the division. The change comes as DC enters a new chapter under Skydance’s ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery. 

There’s also a personal reason for Gunn’s departure. He took to Instagram to outline spoken about how much of his time went into running the studio rather than making films and said he was looking forward to getting back to writing and directing.

Skydance’s arrival may raise questions about which projects will get priority. Reports suggest the company may be forced to rethink DC’s approach to established characters such as Batman and Wonder Woman.

The Box office wasn’t encouraging

According to Variety, the box office has given the studio plenty to think about. Superman brought in $618.7 million worldwide against a reported $225 million production budget. Supergirl, by comparison, earned around $126 million against a reported $170 million budget.

Clayface was a different story. The film has so far grossed about $109 million on a reported $40 million budget, a stronger result relative to its production cost. But it was one title, and DC still faces the challenge of making its theatrical releases more consistently successful.

Gunn’s approach to the franchise was never limited to its biggest names. He made space for projects such as Creature Commandos and Clayface, while the new leadership is reportedly looking to “build the next generation of DC storytelling.” How much room Latcham gives those smaller projects remains to be seen.

Gunn has not hidden his frustration with the administrative side of the role. Looking back on his four years as co-CEO, he said, “I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job”. The demands of running DC had made it harder to devote his time to the creative work that brought him to the industry in the first place.

His television projects, meanwhile, have given DC some notable critical successes. Peacemaker Season 2, Creature Commandos and HBO’s Lanterns have all attracted critical attention. The theatrical results have been less consistent, however, and that distinction matters when the studio’s performance is being judged across the board.

Gunn and Safran are not cutting ties with DC. They are stepping away from its executive leadership, leaving Latcham to handle the day-to-day running of the studio. Gunn, meanwhile, can return his attention to filmmaking.