In a studio world where franchises are built and rebuilt like cities after a flood, Skydance has chosen a new steward for DC Studios: Jeremy Latchman, a veteran of Marvel's own sprawling universe, who takes the helm on December 1. The change closes a four-year chapter led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, whose ambition to reshape DC's cinematic world was tested by a strong opening hit, a weaker follow-up, and the broader struggle to match Marvel's early reach. Behind the corporate reshuffle lies a familiar question for any inheritor of a myth: how to keep the stories alive while changing who te
Skydance Replaces James Gunn and Peter Safran at DC Studios with Former Marvel Executive Jeremy Latchman
Gunn and Safran will no longer oversee DC Studios' long-term plans
Mark
Gunn and Safran were hired in 2022 to rebuild DC. Why are they leaving after four years?
Mimi
The announcement doesn't give a reason beyond Ellison's statement thanking them. What we have is context: Skydance took over Warner Bros., and the slate has been mixed.
Mark
Mixed how?
Mimi
"Superman" earned nearly $619 million worldwide in 2025. "Supergirl" took around $126 million against a reported $170 million budget in June 2026.
Luke
Careful with the causal link, though. The reporting lays those numbers beside the change, but nobody at Skydance says the box office is why this happened.
Mark
And Latchman's background?
Mimi
Marvel Studios, with work on "Iron Man" and "The Avengers." He also worked with Gunn and Safran on "Guardians of the Galaxy," so he isn't a stranger to them.
Mark
There was the "woke" controversy over "Superman" too. Does that matter here?
Luke
The source says plainly there's no evidence it played a role. Ellison's closeness to Trump is documented, but he denies politicizing the company. Connecting the two would be speculation.
Mimi
Fair. What's documented is that the film drew that criticism in 2025, and that the leadership changed in 2026.
Mark
What happens to projects already underway?
Luke
Gunn is finishing "Man of Tomorrow," and several projects remain in production. What's unknown is how much Latchman will change the long-term plans.
Der Puls
- Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. has set off a leadership shake-up at DC Studios, and the old guard is stepping aside.
- Box office results pulled in different directions, with Superman's roughly $619M haul overshadowed by Supergirl's shortfall against a $170M budget.
- Skydance is steering the studio toward a former Marvel executive who knows the rival machine from the inside and once worked alongside the men he replaces.
- Projects like Man of Tomorrow and The Batman: Part II remain in motion, and the first real test of the new direction arrives when Latchman starts on December 1.
In a studio world where franchises are built and rebuilt like cities after a flood, Skydance has chosen a new steward for DC Studios: Jeremy Latchman, a veteran of Marvel's own sprawling universe, who takes the helm on December 1. The change closes a four-year chapter led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, whose ambition to reshape DC's cinematic world was tested by a strong opening hit, a weaker follow-up, and the broader struggle to match Marvel's early reach. Behind the corporate reshuffle lies a familiar question for any inheritor of a myth: how to keep the stories alive while changing who tells them.
On Monday, Skydance Motion Picture Group announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-heads of DC Studios after four years. Their successor is Jeremy Latchman, a former Marvel Studios executive who worked on Iron Man and The Avengers, and who once collaborated with Gunn and Safran on Guardians of the Galaxy. He begins December 1 as president and chief creative officer, with responsibility for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of DC's film and television slate.
The handover follows Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. and comes about a year after Gunn's Superman reached cinemas, earning close to $619 million worldwide. The studio's momentum faltered with Supergirl, which took in around $126 million against a reported $170 million budget. Clayface followed in October, and DC still struggles to match the profits and cultural pull Marvel enjoyed in its early years.
Gunn and Safran are not vanishing from the story. Gunn is finishing Man of Tomorrow, and projects such as The Batman: Part II and the series The People v. Gorilla Grodd remain in development. Ellison thanked the outgoing pair for their passion and for resetting the studio's foundation.
Some commentators have read the change against the backdrop of Superman's political controversy and Ellison's ties to the Trump administration. The reporting offers no evidence linking the two. What comes next is whether Latchman's leadership reshapes the projects already in the pipeline.
On Monday, Skydance Motion Picture Group announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-heads of DC Studios, ending a run of four years. Their replacement is Jeremy Latchman, a former Marvel Studios executive.
The change follows Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. and arrives about a year after Gunn's "Superman" reached cinemas. Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison chose Latchman to lead the studio. He is due to start on December 1 as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios, and he will oversee the next phase of DC's film and television business, a portfolio that includes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Latchman comes from the other side of the superhero rivalry. He was involved in major Marvel productions including "Iron Man" and "The Avengers." He has also worked with the men he is replacing: he was on Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" alongside Gunn and Safran.
Gunn and Safran took charge of DC Studios in 2022 with a clear brief: rebuild the franchise and give it a more unified cinematic universe. Their first film, "Superman," earned nearly $619 million (€553 million) worldwide in 2025. Their second, "Supergirl," did not follow it up. Released in June 2026, it took in around $126 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $170 million. The horror-inspired "Clayface" came out in October. More broadly, DC has struggled to match the profits and cultural reach Marvel achieved in the early years of its own cinematic universe.
In a statement, Ellison thanked the outgoing pair. He said they had launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate Skydance is incredibly proud of. He added that the company is grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to the brand.
Their work is not simply ending. Gunn is still completing "Man of Tomorrow," the sequel to "Superman." Other DC projects in development include "The Batman: Part II" and the television series "The People v. Gorilla Grodd." Although Gunn and Safran will no longer oversee DC Studios' long-term plans, several projects developed under their leadership remain in production.
The departure also invites a political reading, which the reporting does not support. In 2025, Gunn's "Superman" drew controversy after he described the hero as an immigrant and stressed themes of human kindness, and conservative commentators accused the film of being "woke." Ellison has cultivated close ties with President Donald Trump. He has acknowledged a good relationship with the administration but denied politicizing the company. There is no evidence that the "Superman" controversy played a role in replacing Gunn and Safran.
What to watch now is how Latchman's leadership shapes the projects already in the pipeline, from "Man of Tomorrow" to "The Batman: Part II," once he takes the job on December 1.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we're incredibly proud of.— David Ellison, Skydance chairman and CEO
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