James Gunn and Peter Safran are reportedly stepping down as co-heads of DC Studios after four years of leading the franchise’s ambitious reboot. The development marks a major change in DC’s leadership, although it doesn’t mean Gunn and Safran are walking away from the DC Universe entirely.
James Gunn Is Handing The DC Studios Reins To Marvel Vet Jeremy Latcham
According to the announcement, Marvel Studios veteran Jeremy Latcham will take over as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios on December 1. Meanwhile, Gunn and Safran will return to their creative work full-time, allowing them to focus on the projects they are most passionate about.
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Reflecting on their time leading DC Studios, Gunn and Safran said, “Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision. 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.”
They also expressed confidence in Latcham, highlighting their creative history with him dating back to their time at Marvel. Despite the leadership change, Gunn and Safran aren’t abandoning the universe they helped rebuild. Their return to full-time creative work could actually allow them to concentrate more on storytelling.
With ‘Man of Tomorrow’ approaching and several DC projects still in development, Latcham has an important responsibility ahead of him. For DC fans, the biggest question is whether this leadership change will affect the creative direction Gunn established.
James Gunn Opens Up About The Difficult Side Of Running DC Studios
Perhaps the most interesting part of this announcement is Gunn’s personal explanation of why returning to filmmaking matters so much to him. The filmmaker admitted that his time running DC Studios was far more demanding than people might have realised.
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“What only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is that my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least,” Gunn revealed. He also admitted that he struggled with the corporate responsibilities that came with the position.
“I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job; thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that,” he explained. Gunn further revealed that the demanding schedule affected his personal life, saying that he had sacrificed even the short breaks he previously enjoyed as a filmmaker, taking time away from both himself and his loved ones.
