DC Studios is heading into a new era, with James Gunn and Peter Safran set to leave their leadership roles after four years at the helm, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
The duo will step down as co-CEOs, making way for former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham to take charge of the studio.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Latcham will become DC Studios’ president and chief creative officer, overseeing its film, television and animation projects. He will assume the role on 1 December under the studio’s new ownership following Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The leadership change comes as a surprise, given that Gunn and Safran had been steering DC’s creative direction and rebuilding its cinematic universe. Appointed in 2022, they set out to bring the studio’s film and television projects under a unified vision and establish a stronger rival to Marvel.
During their tenure, DC released ‘Superman’, ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Clayface’, while expanding its television slate with projects including ‘Peacemaker’, ‘Creature Commandos’ and ‘Lanterns’.
Although they are leaving their executive positions, Gunn and Safran will remain involved in several projects as producers. Gunn is currently working on ‘Man of Tomorrow’, the sequel to ‘Superman’, as well as the television spin-off ‘The People v. Gorilla Grodd’. Both will also remain producers on ‘The Batman: Part II’.
In a joint statement, Gunn and Safran said they were proud of the work they had accomplished and welcomed Latcham’s appointment.
They also expressed their enthusiasm about returning to the creative work that first brought them into the industry.
Skydance chairman and chief executive David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz praised the duo for transforming DC Studios and laying the foundation for its next phase. They also expressed confidence in Latcham’s ability to lead the franchise forward.
Latcham brings considerable experience from his years at Marvel Studios, where he worked on major productions including ‘Iron Man’, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’.
He later founded his own production company and worked on films including ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ and ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’.
In his new role, Latcham will oversee DC’s creative development, production, talent and overall strategy.
He said he was honoured to take on the responsibility and looked forward to building the studio’s next chapter for longtime fans and new audiences.
For Gunn and Safran, the departure marks a return to full-time creative work after years of balancing filmmaking with the demands of running a major studio.
