James Gunn And Producer Peter Safran To Lead Newly Formed DC Studios

Warner Bros. Discovery announced that director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran will lead the newly formed DC Studios, replacing Walter Hamada and DC Films. Gunn and Safran will lead the DC’s TV, animation, and film divisions as co-chairs and co-CEOs, with Gunn focusing on developing and cultivating the studio’s creative endeavors. At the same time, Safran will work on production and business dealings.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav shared his enthusiasm for Gunn and Safran’s coming leadership:

“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.” Zaslav continued, “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.”

Gunn garnered attention for films such as Slither and Super before working with Marvel for the Guardians of the Galaxy films. After being fired by Disney after controversial tweets came to light, Gunn moved to DC and helmed the successful relaunch of The Suicide Squad and the critically acclaimed Peacemaker on HBO Max.

Safran has worked as a producer and has been involved with DC films for the last ten years, producing Aquaman, its sequel, Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and the Shazam! series.

The studio has undergone tremendous upheaval since merging with Discovery in April 2022, with the company removing 36 shows from HBO Max and canceling the already completed Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. The “content purge” will save the company nearly $2 billion.

Gunn and Safran signed an exclusive four-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, with their term beginning November 1, 2022.

DC released Black Adam on October 21 and will release Shazam!: Fury of the Gods on March 17, 2023, followed by Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Christmas 2023.

Stay with mxdwn for more DC news as it is announced.