Director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran will become co-chairs and co-CEOs of Warner Bros.’ new DC Studios, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. DC Studios is a new division of Warner Bros. replacing DC Films and will oversee all DC Universe projects across film, television and animation.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s new CEO, David Zaslav, has been on the lookout for a counterpart to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige for some time, courting people from diverse backgrounds in the entertainment world.
Gunn previously had a closer relationship with Marvel, directing the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films before flying to DC for 2021 The Suicide Squad – after being fired from Marvel’s third Guardians film. (He’s back on that project, however.) Tuesday’s news also came hours after the trailer for Gunn’s upcoming departure dropped Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special. For DC, Gunn also directed the acclaimed HBO Max show peacemakerone of Polygon’s favorite shows in 2022.
While not as household a name as Gunn, Safran is a very experienced producer who has worked with Warner Bros. many times over the past few years. Among Safran’s earliest production stints is his work with horror director and DC veteran James Wan. Safran’s work as a producer on Wan’s Conjuring Universe is also preparing him for the type of franchise management that will be key to his success in his new role at DC. Since then, Saffron has moved into the DC Universe as a whole, including Shazam! Movies and Gunn’s DC projects.
This marks the latest hierarchy change in the DC Universe following the recent departure of CEO Walter Hamada and years of turmoil before the Warner Bros. acquisition (and after, including the infamous cancellation of bat girl).
