Marvel Veteran Replaces James Gunn as DC Studios Chief in an Unexpected Hollywood Plot Twist

Jeremy Latcham will become DC Studios' president and chief creative officer, replacing James Gunn and Peter Safran as the studio's leaders. Skydance announced the appointment on Monday, 9 November, ending the pair's four-year leadership of the studio. Latcham is due to take up the role on 1 December.

Skydance said Gunn and Safran would return to full-time creative work rather than continue as studio executives. They are expected to remain involved in filmmaking and producing. Skydance Chairman and CEO David Ellison and Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said in a statement that they looked forward to working with Latcham to build the next generation of DC storytelling and strengthen the company's commitment to fans.

Why DC Studios Is Changing Its Leadership

Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on 6 October, creating a combined company under the Skydance name. Gunn and Safran initially remained in charge after the takeover, making the announcement of their departure an unexpected turn. Skydance did not give a specific reason for the change.

The pair were appointed in 2022 to lead the newly formed DC Studios. Gunn, a writer and director, became the public face of its creative reset, while Safran brought producing experience from franchises including Aquaman, Shazam! and The Conjuring. Their remit covered films, television and animation, with an ambition to give DC's screen stories a more connected direction.

Their tenure produced contrasting box-office results. Superman grossed about $618.7 million (£461.2 million) worldwide, while Supergirl collected approximately $126.5 million (£94.3 million). Clayface had reached roughly $109 million (£81.2 million) worldwide by the announcement, according to The Numbers.

What Jeremy Latcham Brings to DC Studios

Latcham arrives with experience from Marvel's early growth. He was part of the studio's founding leadership team under Kevin Feige and worked on films including Iron Man and The Avengers. He also worked on Spider-Man: Homecoming and collaborated with Gunn on the Guardians of the Galaxy films, giving them an established working relationship.

Latcham will oversee DC's creative pipeline, production, talent and strategy across film, television and animation. He will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group. In a statement, Goldberg and Greenstein said he brought 'a deep reverence for DC and its passionate fanbase', adding that audiences would remain central to the studio's work.

In a statement posted on Threads, Gunn recalled making comics featuring DC characters as a child and described having access to them as a dream come true. He also wrote that he disliked the 'at-times corporate nature' of the job, thanking Safran for taking on much of that responsibility. Gunn said balancing creative projects with studio duties had been difficult.

The New DCU is Not Affected by This

The immediate slate includes projects at different stages. Man of Tomorrow, the Superman follow-up due on 9 July 2027, wrapped principal photography in August. HBO Max has ordered eight episodes of The People v. Gorilla Grodd, a comedy from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, with Gunn and Safran attached as executive producers.

The series will star Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd. The supporting cast includes Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

HBO Max describes the production as a half-hour comedy presented as an eight-part true-crime docuseries. Its storyline follows Grodd, a superintelligent ape convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City.

Olsen reopens the case for the Daily Planet, investigating whether Grodd was wrongly convicted. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers, with Yacenda directing all episodes.

Gunn has also said he and Safran have been engaged on another DC project that he is writing. He has not disclosed further details.