James Gunn and Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios at Warner Bros

Are you shocked? Well, you should be. Not even a week after Walter Hamada handed his resignation as President of DC Entertainment, it has now been announced that James Gunn (that’s right, the James Gunn) and Peter Safran will be overseeing DC Entertainment, which will now be called DC Studios. The newly-appointed studio will cover film, television, and animation titles set in the world of DC.

Gunn will be David Zaslav‘s Kevin Feige, overseeing the creative side of the company, while Safran will be hands on the business side of things. The two will be reporting directly to Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy. The deal has been set in stone for the next four years, and will even allow Gunn to develop his own projects (a few have already been announced) that he will also be able to direct.

In a statement, Zaslav said that “DC has among the most entertaining, powerful, and iconic characters in the world and I am thrilled to have the singular and complementary talents of James and Peter joining our world-class team and overseeing the creative direction of the storied DC Universe. Their decades of experience in filmmaking, close ties to the creative community, and proven track record thrilling superhero fans around the globe make them uniquely qualified to develop a long-term strategy across film, TV, and animation, and take this iconic franchise to the next level of creative storytelling.”

On the other hand, Gunn and Safran jointly said that they are “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.”

De Luca and Abdy added to the statements, saying that they “could not be more excited to have James Gunn and Peter Safran join the team and assume the leadership of the DC Universe. James is a brilliant filmmaker and storyteller and Peter is a tremendously successful and prolific producer and to have them both committing to work together to forge this new era for DC is a literal dream come true. We all share a very similar sensibility and passion for this universe and the stars couldn’t have aligned any better. We can’t wait to get started, dig in, and collaborate with these unmatched creative minds.”

Before fully entering the DC universe, James Gunn will be releasing two films set in the Marvel Universe, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on November 25 and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol.3 on May 5, 2023.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter