It’s barely been two months since the controversial merger of Paramount and Warner Bros., and we already have a shocking and unexpected ousting: the co-CEOs of the rebooted DC Universe, James Gunn and Peter Safran, are stepping down from the role despite Hollywood rumor assuming the duo would be safe.
It is unclear whether the two men chose to resign or were forced out, nor what will happen to their slate of projects planned beyond 2028. Superman: The Man of Tomorrowwhich is in post-production. Producer Jeremy Latcham, a protégé of Marvel’s Kevin Feige who worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy among other MCU films, will replace them. Joint statement from Per Gunn and Safran:
Four years ago, we decided to unite DC under a single creative vision. At that time we helped restore Superman in the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns And Clay face. We are immensely proud of the team who turned this ambition into something real, including the actors, teams and executives we had the opportunity to collaborate with. We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy dating back to Marvel, and we can’t wait to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter. We’re excited to get back to what drew us to this work in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter in Clark and Lex’s journey in The man of tomorrow.
DCU fans are mourning the news and what it could mean for the franchise. My feelings are mixed. On the one hand, I’m going on record to state that I’ve found the rebooted DC Universe films released thus far enjoyable but rather forgettable, even when the positives outweigh the negatives. (I haven’t seen it yet clay facewhich debuted to good reviews and strong box office results.) But HBO did well with the DCU: I loved both seasons of Peacemaker; Lanterns is a beacon of what’s possible when someone is allowed to be truly creative in genre; and I’m looking forward to next year’s Jimmy Olsen (Skylar Gisondo) series The People Against Gorilla Grodd– described as a “mockey detective comedy superhero series.”
Gn entert
