James Gunn and Peter Safran will lead DC Studios

Warner Bros. Discovery has been looking to find someone to manage the creator of DC superhero movies and TV shows for a while. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, they’ve hired filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran to lead DC’s film, television, and animation productions going forward.

James Gunn confirmed the news on Twitter:

Gunn and Safran will serve as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, a newly formed division at Warner Bros. Discovery that will replace DC Films. The announcement comes a week after former DC Films head Walter Hamada departed after 15 years at Warner Bros. and 4 years as the head of DC Films. Hamada’s decision came after creative differences over the cancelation of Batgirl.

James Gunn, who is one of the most respected names in comic book filmmaking — he’s best known for writing and directing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies — will take lead on the creative side of things. He has collaborated with DC in the past to develop The Suicide Squad and its hit HBO Max spinoff Peacemaker, starring John Cena. He has worked with Safran in the past as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn will be the Kevin Feige of DC Studios

Gunn and Safran released a joint statement:

"We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children. We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told."

James Gunn’s deal runs four years and keeps the director exclusive to DC, which means his partnership with Marvel Studios is over for the moment. The news broke hours after Marvel announced the release date for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Both Gunn and Safran will report to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has vowed to build a DC Cinematic Universe over the next 10 years, seeking to mirror what arch rival Marvel Studios had done with the MCU.

One could say that Gunn and Safran will become DC’s version of Marvel boss Kevin Feige, although the notion of filmmakers and producers acting as executives was started at Pixar.

Warner Bros. Discovery executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who were managing all things DC before a permanent person could be found, called the onboarding of Gunn and Safran a “new era for DC” and “literal dream come true.”

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