James Gunn and his DC Universe co-CEO Peter Safran were fired Friday by Skydance CEO David Ellison, who recently took control of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to reports. Gunn and Safran had contracts running through April, but Ellison has told them to clear out their desks by December 1.
Taking over DC Studios leadership is Jeremy Latcham, a former Marvel executive who played a role in that studio’s early success.
Industry outlet Cosmic Book News, citing unnamed Warner Bros. Discovery insiders, reports that Gunn was pushed out specifically over his upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, and that the final cut of that film now belongs to the incoming regime. The same insiders told the outlet that the R-rated direction of the DC Universe under Gunn — including the series Lanterns and Peacemaker — is finished.
“Our WBD insiders say Gunn was fired over Man of Tomorrow, and the final cut now belongs to the new regime. We’re also told the divisive R-rated DCU, like Lanterns and Peacemaker, is over,” Cosmic Book News reported.
The outlet also noted that Variety’s reporting on the fate of Gunn’s DC projects points in the same direction: no Season 2 renewal has been announced for Green Lantern-related programming, new leadership is coming in, and a larger budget would be required for any second season.
Cosmic Book News further reported that insiders describe Latcham’s faith as a factor in the new direction: “the same WBD insiders who told us James Gunn was fired over Man of Tomorrow’s final cut say incoming DC Studios boss Jeremy Latcham’s ‘involvement as a Christian means no more R like Peacemaker and Lanterns, though he wouldn’t discount a DC R-rated flick in the vein of the Odyssey.'”
The shakeup follows a string of financial disappointments for Gunn’s slate. Superman (2025) brought in $620 million worldwide, a figure Breitbart commentator John Nolte and others have characterized as underwhelming for a flagship DC release. Supergirl reportedly lost money for the studio, while Clayface may only break even.
Peacemaker Season 2 also drew criticism over its content, including a storyline Nolte’s column described as continuing a “Nazi Earth” plot that mocked religious themes and tied them to Nazi imagery, while following characters portrayed by Danielle Brooks and Nhut Le.
Gunn’s original Guardians of the Galaxy helped launch his film career before he moved to DC, where he and Safran were installed as co-CEOs to rebuild the franchise after years of inconsistent output under Warner Bros.’ previous ownership.
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