James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios Run Ended Sooner Than Anyone Expected

When James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2022, the mission was clear. They were brought in to create a rival to Disney’s Marvel Studios and a similar cinematic universe. Few expected the job to end in 4 years.

For a while, the plan looked like it was working. Gunn’s ‘Superman’ grossed $618.7 million worldwide, though it fell short of the biggest superhero hits. Gunn and Safran also survived Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, at least initially.

Then the box office turned against them. ‘Supergirl’ opened to a $68 million global launch, well below what the studio wanted, and Safran publicly acknowledged it missed expectations. ‘Clayface’ followed with a worldwide opening of around $43 million, lower than ‘Supergirl’s’ start, and it has grossed $109 million so far.

That slump is the backdrop for the news in Variety’s post on X. The outlet reports that Gunn and Safran have been dismissed from DC Studios after their decade-long plans imploded, following a string of projects that lost money and failed to hook audiences.

According to Variety’s sources, the thinking was that the pair spent big, and lost too much, on projects that weren’t resonating. The decision to focus on lesser-known characters like Supergirl and Clayface, rather than building out the franchise with marquee names, reportedly raised eyebrows. As one studio insider put it, “The industry has taken away the wrong lessons from Marvel’s success. Higher budgets don’t equal quality storytelling.”

The star-power complaint is not new. Before release, TheWrap noted that ‘Clayface,’ a scaled-down horror riff, similarly lacked a movie star. That fits the criticism that DC bet on concepts rather than household names.

The official version of events is gentler. Gunn and Safran are stepping down as DC Studios co-CEOs effective Dec. 1, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham named president and chief creative officer. Skydance chief David Ellison reportedly framed the change as gratitude rather than dissatisfaction.

Gunn addressed the exit himself. He confirmed the news in a statement shared to his Instagram on Monday. He and Safran pointed to restoring ‘Superman’ to the heart of DC and opening new doors with ‘Peacemaker,’ ‘Creature Commandos,’ ‘Lanterns’ and ‘Clayface.’

There is some irony in the replacement. A Marvel veteran is taking over at the very moment a studio insider is questioning what DC learned from Marvel. Gunn has also been through this before. He was fired outright from Marvel in 2018, then rehired within a year after a fan campaign.

For fans, the biggest open question is what happens to the projects already in motion. ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ which Gunn was directing, was slated to open July 9, 2027. Whether Latcham keeps that slate intact, or reshapes it around bigger names, may decide what the next chapter of DC looks like.