James Gunn has been named boss of future DC movies and TV shows, alongside producer Peter Safran. Gunn and Safran will lead DC Studios, a reorganized division of Warner Bros. Discovery, Transforming Superman, Batman, black adam and other DC comic book characters in new film, television and animated projects.
From Arrowverse TV shows to Zack Snyder films and standalone films like The Batman and Joker, DC’s somewhat varied output of superhero movies and TV shows has been negatively compared to the studio’s unified vision of Marvel rival superhero. There have even been recent reports that the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav was specifically looking for DC’s own version of Marvel Cinematic Universe supremo Kevin Feige. Now it looks like DC has found the co-Feiges in Gunn and Safran.
Gunn has ties to Marvel through his involvement in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but he moved to DC to direct. The Suicide Squad and spin-off TV show Peacemaker when Marvel briefly fired him. His new job was announced on Tuesday, just hours after Gunn released the trailer for his latest MCU project, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will be released on Disney Plus on November 25. He also directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, intended for a May 5, 2023, theatrical releaseand suggested it would be his last film in this franchise.
According to a press release from Warner Bros. Discovery, Gunn and Safran will serve as co-presidents and general managers of DC Studios, which replaces DC Films. They will oversee “the overall creative direction of the DC Universe across film, television and animation under one banner” and “lead the development and execution of a long-term plan for the many licensed properties of DC Comics, focused on continuing the tradition of high-quality storytelling for the DC Universe through broadcast media, while building a sustainable growth business out of the iconic franchise.”
They start the new job on November 1. Gunn and Safran will continue to direct and produce films and/or television shows, although The Hollywood Reporter reports they will work exclusively for DC for four years.
“We are honored to be stewards of these DC characters we have loved since we were kids,” Gunn and Safran said in the statement. “We look forward to collaborating with the world’s most talented writers, directors and actors to create an integrated, multi-layered 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 DC’s stable of characters are matched only by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility that these characters represent. We’re thrilled to reinvigorate the theatrical experience across the world by telling some of the greatest and the finest, and grandest stories ever told.”
Safran has produced various films for Warner Bros. and other movie studios, including DC’s highest-grossing film, Aquaman, and its upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom; as well as The Suicide Squad and the Shazam movies. He also produced horror hits Annabelle and the Conjuring series.
