David Zaslav Sends James Gunn a Surprising Farewell Message After DC Studios Exit
When David Zaslav went looking for someone to reshape DC’s movie slate in 2022, he wanted a leader in the mold of Marvel’s Kevin Feige. He found James Gunn and Peter Safran, handing them the keys to a newly reorganized DC Studios that reported directly to him. It was a bold bet on a filmmaker who had already proven he could make superhero stories connect with audiences.
Fast forward four years, and the situation looks very different. Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery appeared at first to leave the pair safe, with Skydance chief David Ellison reportedly keen to keep them on after a meeting about their future that was said to have gone well. Then came a surprise shake-up that put Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham in charge and sent Gunn back to full-time filmmaking.
That is the backdrop for a small but loaded gesture. After Gunn posted a farewell message on Instagram, Zaslav left a comment on it saying everyone was grateful Gunn took the job. He called Gunn an extraordinary leader and a great creative, described his vision for DC as magical, and said he could not wait for audiences to see ‘Superman: Man of Tomorrow’.
Gunn seemingly welcomed the note, since he liked the comment, according to reports. That fits the tone of his own farewell, in which he reflected warmly on the collaborators and fans who supported his time at the studio, even as he admitted the job was trying and that he disliked its corporate side. He added that he felt relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking.
Zaslav’s reference to ‘Man of Tomorrow’ also points to what comes next for Gunn. The ‘Superman’ sequel has finished filming and is in post-production ahead of a July 9, 2027 release, and Gunn has described the experience as the best of his filmmaking career. In the film, Clark Kent allies with an imprisoned Lex Luthor to take on Brainiac.
Not everyone read the comment as a sincere goodbye. Many fans reacted strongly, accusing the former Warner Bros. Discovery CEO of setting the chain of events in motion by selling the company. One critic argued that the studio sold in a year when it was highly profitable, and others laid the blame for Gunn’s departure squarely at Zaslav’s feet.
The backlash is tied to Zaslav’s role in the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery, which ultimately put the studio in the hands of new owners. In October, on the eve of the merger, he thanked staffers and said he was grateful for his years at the company.
Yet the reaction was not entirely one-sided. At least one user credited Zaslav for putting Gunn and Safran in charge in the first place, noting that he gave them the chance to build their version of the DC Universe. That mix of anger and gratitude shows how divided fans remain over who deserves the blame.
The exit does not end Gunn’s involvement overnight. He and Safran leave their leadership roles on Dec. 1, and Gunn has said he is writing another DC project, adding that the characters he and Safran established will live on. The pair also remain attached to ‘The People v. Gorilla Grodd’ and another season of ‘Creature Commandos’.
Under Zaslav, Gunn and Safran answered directly to him. Under Skydance, Latcham will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, the co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group. That change in structure underlines how much the company’s priorities have shifted since the original appointment.
Zaslav’s comment is more than a polite send-off because of who is delivering it. The executive who hired Gunn is now publicly praising him after leaving the company himself, while fans question whether that praise rings hollow.
The exchange also shows how emotional the transition has been for DC’s audience. Fans who followed Gunn’s plans for a connected universe now have to wait and see which parts survive under new leadership.
For now, the one sure thing is ‘Man of Tomorrow’, which Zaslav himself is eager for audiences to see. How the new regime handles the rest of the slate will decide whether this farewell becomes a footnote or the start of a bigger shift.
Do you think David Zaslav's farewell message to James Gunn was genuine?
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