James Gunn and Peter Safran leave DC Studios: Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham takes over
James Gunn and Peter Safran will step away from running DC Studios on December 1, 2026. Jeremy Latcham, who spent years at Marvel, becomes president and chief creative officer.
James Gunn and Peter Safran are leaving the top of DC Studios. Skydance, which now controls Warner Bros., made the change public on November 9, 2026, during its quarterly results. The pair will step away on December 1, and Jeremy Latcham, a longtime Marvel producer, will take over as president and chief creative officer.
The news lands in the middle of the studio's biggest rebuild in years, with a new Superman sequel on the calendar and a whole shared universe still taking shape. Here is what was announced, who the new boss is and what it means for the films you are waiting for.
The news at a glance
- Announced: November 9, 2026, by Skydance, during its quarterly results.
- When it happens: Gunn and Safran step away on December 1, 2026.
- Who takes over: Jeremy Latcham, as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios.
- Who he answers to: Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Skydance's film group.
- Next big release: Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel, on July 9, 2027.
Who is Jeremy Latcham?
Latcham spent more than a decade at Marvel Studios and rose to senior vice president of production and development. He joined the studio in 2004, and over the years his name appeared on some of the biggest hits of the 2010s. He left Marvel in 2017 to start his own production company.
Iron Man (2008)
The film that started the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also where Latcham first got a credit on a Marvel movie, still early in his climb through the studio.
The Avengers (2012)
By the time heroes shared one screen for the first time, Latcham was already working at the executive level on Marvel's flagship crossover.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
This is the link that matters most today. Guardians is where Latcham first worked with Gunn, who directed the film.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
One of his last big Marvel projects before he left in 2017 to start his own company.
After Marvel
On his own, Latcham has produced films such as Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).
It is a big ensemble adventure, a kind of film that fans of Gunn's own team-up movies will recognize.
Why did James Gunn leave DC Studios?
Skydance did not give a reason. Part of the trade press described the exit as a firing, while the company framed it as a thank you. David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, who lead Skydance, said the two "launched a new era for DC Studios". They credited Gunn and Safran with putting Superman back at the center of DC and with launching Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns and Clayface.
The change comes only weeks after Skydance completed its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, and Gunn and Safran had been on the list of executives Ellison named after the deal. Until the company or the two of them say more, the reason is an open question, and this post does not guess.
What did James Gunn say?
Gunn wrote on Instagram that his time running the studio had been "trying, to say the least", that he disliked the corporate side of the job and that he is relieved to return to "pure filmmaking".
"Trying, to say the least" ... "pure filmmaking"
He also said that he and Safran are not done with DC or with superheroes.
For a filmmaker who spent years answering to budgets, schedules and corporate calendars, the message reads as a return to the part of the job he likes most: writing and directing.
What did Gunn and Safran build at DC?
They were named to lead DC in 2022. Gunn already had The Suicide Squad behind him, his first DC film, and was finishing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Before running the studio, Gunn wrote and directed this film for DC. It was his first work for the company.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
His last Marvel film closed the trilogy he started in 2014, as he took over at DC.
Superman (2025)
The first big film of the new DC passed 600 million dollars at the box office in 2025. Skydance credits the pair with putting Superman back at the center of DC.
Clayface (2026)
One of the projects Skydance named in its thank you, alongside the series Peacemaker, Creature Commandos and Lanterns.
What happens to Man of Tomorrow?
The sequel to Superman stays on the calendar for July 9, 2027, and is in post-production. Gunn and Safran move back to creative work full time, and Gunn is writing another DC film that Safran will produce. Gunn and Safran were named to lead DC in 2022, and their Superman passed 600 million dollars at the box office in 2025. Which projects Latcham will keep is still an open question.
What is confirmed and what is still open
Confirmed
- The exit date (December 1, 2026) and Latcham's new role.
- The July 9, 2027 date for Man of Tomorrow.
- Gunn writing another DC film, with Safran producing.
Still open
- The reason for the exit.
- Which projects in development Latcham will keep, change or cancel.
- What Gunn's next DC film will be.
Timeline
- 2022: Gunn and Safran are named to lead DC.
- 2025: Superman arrives in theaters and passes 600 million dollars.
- November 9, 2026: Skydance announces the change.
- December 1, 2026: Gunn and Safran step away and Latcham starts.
- July 9, 2027: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled for theaters.
Which DC movie do you most want to see next? On Rankiew you can rate every film, write reviews and build your own lists.
Source: Skydance announcement of November 9, 2026, and James Gunn's statement on Instagram.
