James Gunn’s 10-Year DCU Plan Gets New Update After Shock Studio Exit

Published Nov 10, 2026, 9:33 AM EST

Andy Behbakht has worked as an entertainment journalist since 2010, covering all the latest in Hollywood on both the big and small screens, from staying on top of the biggest breaking news, analyzing movies and television shows in Hollywood, to in-depth interviews with actors and storytellers.

Andy's career includes having worked for publications such as FanSided, KSiteTV, TV Fanatic, It's Just Movies, Heroic Hollywood, TV Overmind, and more. Outside of his career as an established reporter, Andy is the host and producer of The Showrunner Whisperer, The Flash Podcast, the editor-in-chief of Multiverse of Color, and the network director of DC TV Podcasts.

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The DC Universe franchise is ending its year with a big, unexpected bang.

2026 saw the Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount merger come to fruition, as the two Hollywood titans became Skydance, which would include DC Studios as part of their empire. Despite it being initially reported that James Gunn and Peter Safran were staying in their co-CEO positions, Skydance fully announced on November 9 that the duo will officially exit their roles, with Jeremy Latcham set to take over, starting on December 1. While audience members and industry figures alike are having different reactions, more details on the shake-up are now emerging in a massive report.

Puck is reporting that they are being told that there are already plans "afoot to dismantle much of what Gunn and Safran had plotted out beyond next summer’s Gunn-directed Man of Tomorrow, the currently shooting The Batman: Part II," as well as an untitled "in-the-works HBO series." Per the outlet, "DC goes back into reboot mode… again," but no official statements have been given as of yet.

The Hollywood Reporter broke down in detail what seemingly went down behind the scenes between DC Studios' Gunn and Safran, and Paramount's David Ellison, Ynon Kreiz, along with Skydance Motion Picture Group's Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg. According to the trade's sources, the DC heads learned their fate on Friday, November 6, when Ellison and Kreiz visited their office at the Warner Bros. lot to inform them in person.

Despite Gunn and Safran staying with DC Studios, as confirmed on October 2, the two executives were informed that Latcham would be taking over for the two of them. The new DC boss, whose film-producing history goes back to the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is no stranger to the Superman filmmaker, after executive producing 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. Per THR, the changing of the DC guard has been "in the works since early fall and had been precipitated by a reachout to Latcham" by Greenstein. Prior to the announcement on Monday, November 9, Gunn and Latcham had not been in contact about the massive shake-up, but reportedly were planning to have a phone call yesterday afternoon, at the time of this story's publication.

The Tension Between The DC & Skydance Heads

Credit: Lucy North/PA Images/INSTARimages

Sources claimed that there were "several points of tension between DC’s Gunn and Safran and Skydance’s Greenstein and Goldberg." The DC partners were previously reporting directly to former WBD CEO David Zaslav, instead of Warner Bros. Pictures' Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, as "their contracts stipulated they would maintain that kind of direct reporting structure in the event of a change of leadership, in this case Ellison." However, this led to a "chafing with Greenstein and Goldberg, who are trying to consolidate all production of motion pictures under them."

Since the launch of DC Studios in 2022, followed by a slate of movies and TV shows being unveiled in 2023, Gunn and Safran had gotten used to having "strong control over every aspect of the rollout of DC products," per one insider telling THR. But with the merger leading to a different setup, the publication stated that "they were not about to get layered in the reporting structure," from what they were being informed.

The points of tension don't stop there, with THR going on to mention that the DC Studios co-CEOs were not "forthcoming or very slow in sharing plans, slate details, and footage," with the Skydance film bosses. This was seemingly a major element in what got Latcham the gig, as he will report directly to Goldberg and Greenstein. Another insider, who gave a more "blunt assessment," added that Ellison allegedly was never looking to have DC report directly to him "in the first place," while not having time for "studio politics, such as any posturing between division heads."

Finances were also a factor that played into the decision, as Superman's $618 million gross, while being profitable, "did not net out, or have the kind of pop culture impact, in the way that kind of movie should have, the Skydance regime’s thinking went." While Supergirl was a commercial failure, the R-rated Clayface, which has made over $103 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, has emerged as a modest success, along with a strong critical reception.

The outlet added that sources describe Latcham as a "down the middle shooter" with the goal of making financial hits for the general audience and getting them to theaters. Multiple sources also added that if Gunn is seen as the filmmaker to "deliver f-bombs and lesser known characters," then the new DC Studios CEO, who is expected to divide his time between L.A. and his home back in Texas, is "the guy to deliver what’s more in line with Ellison’s more meat and potatoes tastes." As for how this will affect upcoming DC movies, he is predicted to be a "very hands on producer" who enjoys spending time on sets. THR adds that Gunn and Safran, who are returning to more creative roles, will still have "direct links to the studio," but just less control.

Following Gunn's comments yesterday, people close to him have noted that he's "somewhat relieved to go fully back to the creative side of the business," a sentiment that he addressed in his separate statement from the Skydance announcement. While he is in post-production on the Man of Tomorrow movie, 2027 won't be the end of his DC adventures, as he is also an executive producer on HBO Max's The People Vs. Gorilla Grodd, and is also currently penning a new mystery project in the franchise. The director stated the following about his future on social media:

Oh, boy. What a four years. Thanks to all of you who have supported me and Peter in our time as the heads of DC Studios.

When I was a kid growing up in Manchester, Missouri, I used to write and draw my own comics with a mix of DC Comics characters and my own characters. Having full access to these characters to do whatever we wanted has been a dream come true. I didn't know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I just couldn't pass up the unique opportunity. I'm glad I took the job.

There have been so many highs along the way - releasing Superman and Clayface, making Peacemaker, reading the scripts to The People Vs, the entire process of Man of Tomorrow, which thus far has been the best filmmaking experience of my life, and numerous other moments. The highest of the highs have been all the talented and wonderful people l've worked with and grown to love: the DC Studios crew, our talented collaborators, our casts and crews, and the boisterous and hilarious fans. And the best part of all has been working with Peter Safran, the smartest and most competent person I know. You've been the best partner a person could ask for, and, more so, a truly good friend.

But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that). I'm always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and l've stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years (Jenn, I love you and I'm sorry and you don't need to feel guilty for being the happiest of all people that I'm no longer doing this job). And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I'm incredibly passionate about and the ones I'm not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head. So, yes, I will miss the people around me, and I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking.

That's not to say Peter and I are immediately done with DC or superheroes. We have Man of Tomorrow out this summer. And we've just been engaged on another DC project which I'm writing, and we'll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on.

Thank you so very, very much for embracing the characters and stories we've put on screen.

Love and gratitude,

James Gunn

The last note about the future of DC Studios comes with concern from a source that THR describes as having "knowledge of DC’s inner workings." There is "a real concern" about how many times viewers can or will be willing to invest in versions of these characters and the actors who get cast as them. While the DCU may not be ending in the near future, time will tell what the outcome becomes, especially as Latcham takes over for Gunn and Safran as the next CEO.