Just when DC appeared to have found some stability, somebody moved the furniture again. James Gunn and Peter Safran are leaving their leadership positions at DC Studios after four years in charge, making room for a former Marvel executive.
Skydance has appointed Jeremy Latcham as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios. He will begin the job in December and oversee the company’s films, television projects and animation. Gunn and Safran will return to creative work rather than continue managing the entire DC operation. Skydance says they will remain involved in projects already moving forward. So the good news is that they have not completely left the building.
Latcham previously worked at Marvel Studios. He helped develop films including Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming. This provided him with substantial experience, so it only makes sense that he is the logical choice. But a change in leadership is nothing new for DC fans. It happened before when Gunn and Safran took control of DC Studios in 2022.
At the time, Warner Bros. wanted them to create a connected universe capable of competing with Marvel. Their first chapter, titled Gods and Monsters, included Superman, Creature Commandos, Peacemaker, Lanterns and several other projects. Geek Hub has also covered some of the stranger corners of that universe. Clayface turned a Batman villain into a successful body-horror film. A new Constantine project entered development, and The Batman: Part II continued moving forward despite a temporary production pause. And for once, DC did not feel as though every story needed to follow the same formula.
Gunn and Safran allowed filmmakers to explore horror, comedy and television while keeping certain projects outside the main DC timeline. Of course, this made explaining the universe rather complicated. But at least the confusion came with interesting films. And for me, their departure raises the obvious question.
What happens to everything they started?
Skydance says the current slate remains in place. Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow is in post-production and will arrive in cinemas on 9 July 2027. Safran remains a producer, while Gunn continues as writer and director. Gunn has also confirmed that he is working on another DC project. In a statement following the announcement, Gunn said he felt “incredibly relieved” to return to full-time filmmaking. He described the leadership job as trying and said he looked forward to concentrating on creative work again. Which is fair considering that running an entire superhero studio probably involves fewer capes and more meetings about budgets, release dates and whether Batman can legally appear in somebody else’s television show.
Gunn may have discovered that writing a talking animal is easier than managing a corporate universe. But we all know that leadership changes rarely happen without consequences. I’m sure that Latcham will respect the existing plan, but I also have no doubt that he will have ideas of his own that he will want to put forth. I guess projects in active production are probably secure but those still sitting in early development, not so much.
The problem is that DC has spent years beginning again. Actors have changed, timelines have collapsed and entire films have disappeared before audiences could watch them. Gunn and Safran had only just started proving that their approach could work. Clayface showed that smaller and stranger stories could find an audience. Superman restored some optimism to the character, while the broader slate suggested that DC could expand without turning every film into preparation for another crossover.
The simple truth is that every new leader arrives with a vision. And now Latcham inherits that progress.
I hope his Marvel experience helps him manage the universe without discarding what already works. I really don’t think that DC needs another attempt to copy the MCU. What it does need is confidence in its own characters and enough patience to let their stories develop. So, DC Studios has entered another new era.
Let us hope this one lasts long enough for everyone to remember its name.
