Hollywood has been rocked by another major leadership shakeup after James Gunn and Peter Safran were removed as co-CEOs of DC Studios, ending their four-year effort to rebuild one of the entertainment industry’s most recognizable superhero franchises.

The announcement came Monday, November 9, following the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance. The new ownership has decided to install former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios beginning December 1.

Gunn and Safran, who took control in 2022, had been responsible for developing a new interconnected universe built around Superman, Batman and other DC characters.

Their departure comes despite earlier indications that both executives would remain in their positions following the corporate merger.

A Sudden Change at the Top

According to industry reporting, Gunn and Safran had been reassured about their futures before the new ownership ultimately decided to replace them.

The Hollywood Reporter described disagreements involving DC Studios’ reporting structure under the newly combined entertainment company.

Previously, Gunn and Safran reported directly to Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav. Under the new ownership, Skydance executives sought a more centralized management structure.

The change means DC Studios will no longer operate under the same leadership arrangement established when Gunn and Safran were hired.

Skydance executives David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz publicly thanked the departing leaders for their contributions, describing their tenure as an important transformation for the company.

Mixed Results at the Box Office

Gunn’s leadership produced several major projects, but the financial results were uneven.

His 2025 Superman reboot, starring David Corenswet, earned approximately $619 million worldwide and successfully introduced a new version of the iconic character.

However, the 2026 release of Supergirl struggled commercially, raising questions about whether audiences were fully embracing the studio’s new direction.

The horror-inspired DC film Clayface, released in October, performed more modestly, generating approximately $109 million worldwide.

Although Superman demonstrated that DC could still attract large theatrical audiences, the broader franchise had not consistently delivered the financial results expected from a major Hollywood superhero property.

The studio’s leadership change now places the future direction of those characters in new hands.

A Second Major Career Setback

This is not the first time Gunn has lost a prominent Hollywood position.

In 2018, Disney fired him from directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after controversial social media posts resurfaced.

Those posts included offensive jokes involving sexual assault and other disturbing subjects. Gunn apologized, describing the remarks as failed attempts at provocative humor.

Disney eventually reversed its decision and reinstated him in 2019.

Gunn subsequently completed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy before moving into his leadership role at DC Studios.

Unlike his earlier dismissal, there has been no confirmed allegation that the current DC leadership change resulted from personal misconduct.

What Happens to Superman Now?

Despite losing his executive position, Gunn is not completely leaving the DC franchise.

Skydance has confirmed that Gunn and Safran will return to creative work, including the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.

The film is expected to continue the story involving Clark Kent and Lex Luthor.

Meanwhile, incoming DC Studios chief Jeremy Latcham brings considerable experience from Marvel, where he worked on productions including The Avengers and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

His appointment signals that Skydance wants experienced blockbuster leadership overseeing the next phase of DC’s development.

For Gunn, the dismissal ends an ambitious experiment in which a filmmaker was given extraordinary authority over an entire superhero universe.

For DC fans, the bigger question is whether the new ownership can finally deliver the consistency and commercial success that the franchise has struggled to achieve.

With another leadership change underway, Hollywood’s battle for superhero audiences is entering yet another uncertain chapter.