The fusion between Paramount Skydance y Warner Bros. Discovery claims its first victims.
In an executive restructuring that surprises the film industry, James Gunn y Peter Safran They step down as CEOs and presidents of DC Studios.
Gunn and Safran will be replaced by Jeremy Latcham, who will assume the position of president and creative director. Latcham is a veteran producer who worked at Marvel Studios, with credits such as Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man: Homecomingy The Avengers. Latcham will lead DC's film, television and animation offerings, overseeing the creative process as well as production, talent and strategy. Will report to Dana Goldberg y Josh Greensteincodirectores de Skydance Motion Picture Group.
The departure of Gunn and Safran is unexpected, given that they had been appointed to the business leadership team of David Ellison in the newly renamed Skydance, after closing in October the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount, in an operation valued at $111,000 million. Gunn and Safran headed DC Studios from 2022 onwards for four years, during which they reorganized the studio's comics division with mixed business results.
The duo rebooted the DC cinematic universe with the renewed DC Universe or DCU, being the first release Superman (2025), a relative commercial success with a box office of $618 million worldwide. In July of this year came the premiere of Supergirl (2026), which failed to bring audiences en masse to movie theaters, with a box office of $126 million dollars worldwide, against a budget of $170 million dollars, crashing as a commercial failure. In recent weeks it was the turn of body horror to debut in theaters Clayface (2026), which is having a performance considered modest with a current box office of $109 million, against a budget of $44 million.
At the same time, the series was launched Lanters on HBO, with very good reviews. The series was also launched Peacemaker.
Gunn and Safran will reportedly return full-time to creative duties.
Upcoming DC projects for the big screen include the sequel Superman: Man of Tomorrowscheduled for summer 2027—written and directed by Gunn—and The Batman: Part IIscheduled for 2028 and starring Robert Pattinson. In the television field, the series stands out The People v. Gorilla Groddscheduled for 2027, which features Skyler Gisondo—reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen from Superman— and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd.
Regarding the surprise announcement, Gunn and Safran said the following in a joint statement:
“Four years ago, we set out to unify DC under a single creative vision. During this time, we have helped return Superman to the center of DC, while opening new doors and telling untold stories in film and television with projects such as 'Peacemaker,' 'Creature Commandos,' 'Lanterns' and 'Clayface.' We are immensely proud of the team who turned that ambition into a reality, including the actors, production teams and executives with whom we have worked. “We share a creative background with Jeremy dating back to our time at Marvel, and we're looking forward to the perspective he will bring to DC's next chapter. We're excited to get back to what attracted us to this job in the first place: telling the stories we're passionate about, including the next chapter in Clark and Lex's journey in 'Man of Tomorrow.'”
WHO IS THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF DC STUDIOS?
The trajectory of Jeremy Latcham includes joining Marvel Studios in 2004 and rising to become Senior Vice President of Production and Development, working closely with President and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Kevin Feige on the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Latcham was an associate producer on Iron Manco-producer at Iron Man 2 and executive producer on The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron y Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Latcham left Marvel in 2017 to found Latcham Pictures, a company that established preference agreements (first-look deals) with 20th Century Fox, Hasbro and Wonder Project, and which produced Bad Times at the El Royale y Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Recently, it had an overall deal with Hasbro Entertainment, where it was developing a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons and a movie Action Man; Likewise, it produced the adaptation of Naruto for Lionsgate, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
Regarding Latcham's addition to the DC team, Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein said:
“Jeremy has a deep respect for DC and its passionate fan base, recognizing that they constitute the fundamental pillar of this iconic brand that has transcended generations. Under his leadership, each film and television series will be developed, from beginning to end, always keeping in mind the perspective of the legions of fans who love and defend this universe. Jeremy's career is a reflection of the excellence that he will bring to the development of DC and the many beloved characters that comprise it.”
Latcham added:
“DC's pantheon of characters is one of the most iconic in American popular culture. I've had the privilege of helping bring some of the most acclaimed superhero stories to the big screen, and I'm excited and honored by the opportunity to now lead DC Studios into its next phase. The chance to manage DC's incredible roster of characters and bring them to the screen — in a way that excites longtime fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation. “It's a huge responsibility that I don't take lightly. I'm grateful to Dana and Josh for the trust they've placed in me. I'm looking forward to working tirelessly alongside filmmakers, comic book creators, artists and storytellers of all kinds—in the fields of film, television and animation—to build something ambitious, both for long-time DC fans and those approaching this universe for the first time.”
Source: https://cine3.com/skydance-cesa-james-gunn-peter-safran-dcstudios/
