Inside DC’s Ouster: James Gunn, Peter Safran, Exec Tensions and David Ellison’s Fateful Visit
A secure position at DC
Gunn and Safran had felt secure under the new Skydance regime. They had remained in place through a merger that cost Warner Bros. executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy their jobs.
The pair were also seeing modest box-office success with Clayface. The horror film, released Oct. 21, earned more than $100 million worldwide on a $44 million budget, and there had been discussion of making more lower-budget DC horror films.
Plans for Superman’s future
Gunn had finished production on Man of Tomorrow, his Superman follow-up scheduled for release in July 2027. Sources said he was writing a third movie, with plans for a trilogy and a Superman release every two years. The franchise might eventually have become a Justice League team-up, according to the reported plans.
A visit changes the picture
On Friday, Nov. 6, Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz went to Gunn and Safran’s offices on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. Sources said they told the DC leaders that plans had changed, despite earlier assurances they would be part of the new mega-studio. Gunn and Safran were then out after four years as prominent figures in comic book films and television.
A different kind of replacement
The new leader was not a high-profile C-suite executive or a recently dismissed studio chief. Instead, the role went to Jeremy Latcham, a producer who had once been a key member of Marvel Studios’ executive team. Latcham later moved to Texas to work as an independent producer.
Key points
- Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz visited the DC leaders on Nov. 6.
- Sources said Gunn and Safran were told their roles would end despite earlier assurances.
- Gunn had completed Man of Tomorrow, due in July 2027, and was writing a third Superman film.
- Producer Jeremy Latcham, a former Marvel Studios executive, emerged as the replacement.