James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s unexpected exit from DC Studios came after a surprise visit from Skydance executives. While the pair had expected to remain in their roles following Skydance’s acquisition, disagreements over creative control and authority reportedly complicated their future as DC Studios co-CEOs.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz visited Gunn and Safran’s office at Warner Bros. in Burbank on Friday, November 6, and informed them that plans had changed. The pair had reportedly been assured that they would remain part of the combined studio following the acquisition, but were told they would no longer lead DC Studios after four years of overseeing the film and television projects.
The decision followed discussions about how Warner Bros.’ film operations would be organized under the new leadership. Their departure marks a significant change for DC Studios as the company moves toward a different management structure.
Power struggle over DC’s future put Gunn & Safran on the outside
According to the aforementioned source, the disagreement centered on who would have the final say over DC’s film and television output. Before the acquisition, Gunn and Safran reported directly to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, and their contracts allegedly protected that arrangement under new ownership.
However, Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group, wanted to bring all film production under their leadership. This created a clash between the DC co-CEOs and Skydance’s co-Chairmen.
That said, sources also reported concerns about how much information Gunn and Safran shared with the Skydance film executives. One source shared that the pair had been slow or reluctant to provide details about DC’s slate, plans, and footage. Due to this, Greenstein and Goldberg reached out to Jeremy Latcham and appointed him as DC Studios’ president and chief creative officer.
Latcham is set to take over on December 1, 2026, while Gunn and Safran will depart from their positions on the same day. The new president will oversee DC’s film, television, and animation projects, including creative, development, production, talent, and strategy. Moreover, he will report directly to Greenstein and Goldberg.
