Skydance Reportedly Plans to Dismantle James Gunn’s DCU, Sparing Only What’s Already Filmed

When James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled their first DC Studios slate in January 2023, it was a bold statement of intent. The ‘Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters’ lineup promised 10 projects, from ‘Superman’ and ‘Lanterns’ to ‘Swamp Thing’ and ‘The Brave and the Bold’, all feeding one connected universe.

More than 3 years later, the road map looks a lot different. ‘The Authority’ has been scrapped, ‘Waller’ and ‘Paradise Lost’ were reported to be no longer active priorities, and ‘Booster Gold’ has been searching for a new creative team. ‘The Brave and the Bold’ and ‘Swamp Thing’ have stalled in development, while ‘Sgt. Rock’ is in limbo after production was paused in 2025.

Now a new report suggests the rest of that vision is about to be torn down. Puck’s Matthew Belloni says plans are already underway to dismantle much of what Gunn and Safran plotted out at DC Studios, leaving Gunn’s DCU mostly gone apart from what has already been filmed.

According to Belloni’s newsletter, only 3 projects are secure: next summer’s ‘Man of Tomorrow’, Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman Part II’ and an unnamed HBO series. Everything else on the drawing board appears to be up for review under incoming DC Studios boss Jeremy Latcham, who takes over on Dec. 1.

That fits what is publicly known about what’s already in motion. ‘Man of Tomorrow’ is in post-production for a July 9, 2027 release, and the spinoff series ‘The People v. Gorilla Grodd’ is also reported to be in post. ‘The Batman Part II’ is dated for 2028, with Gunn and Safran remaining on as producers.

James Gunn’s DCU plans will be mostly dismantled, excluding what has already been filmed. (Source: @PuckNews) https://t.co/I59RZYMpeq

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 10, 2026

Part of the story is structural. Belloni notes that Gunn and Safran had it written into their contracts that they reported to the company’s CEO, which let them run DC almost as its own studio. Latcham, by contrast, answers to Skydance film bosses Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

The Hollywood Reporter’s account of the ouster describes similar friction. Before Skydance’s acquisition, Gunn and Safran reported directly to Warner Bros., which set up chafing with executives who are trying to consolidate all film production under their leadership.

Gunn’s longer-term plans included ‘Justice League’ movies in 2029 and 2031, and he was reportedly in the middle of writing a third ‘Superman’ film when the news broke. Whether that script ever becomes a movie is now up to Latcham and his bosses. In his goodbye statement, Gunn said he and Safran have begun another DC project that he is writing, though details remain unclear.

Latcham also inherits some loose threads. One is a ‘Superman’ sequel that’s already in the can. Another is a ‘Batman’ sequel that isn’t connected to the DCU at all. That leaves a lot of room for him to map out his own direction, and some commentators have even floated the idea of ditching the shared-universe model entirely.

The business case isn’t hard to see. ‘Superman’ grossed $618 million worldwide, but Skydance reportedly wanted a bigger cultural footprint, and ‘Supergirl’ earned about $126 million on a budget of at least $170 million. ‘Clayface’ has since reached $109 million on a $44 million budget, a better ratio, though it did not change the direction of travel.

The reported plan to dismantle the slate also raises the question of what the studio would build in its place. Latcham spent years at Marvel Studios, where he rose to senior VP of production and development, and he will lead DC’s film, television and animation slate, including its creative pipeline, production, talent and strategy.

None of this has been confirmed by DC Studios or Skydance, and the report relies on unnamed sources describing plans that could shift. Latcham doesn’t officially start until Dec. 1, so the real decisions are likely still to come. For now, the safest bets are the films and shows that have already wrapped.

For fans who bought into Gunn’s connected DCU, the news is a hard pill to swallow. For viewers who never connected with the universe, it may sound like a fresh start.

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