DC Studios changes hands as Marvel veteran Jeremy Latchman takes over

By Daniel Okafor

DC Studios will be led by Marvel veteran Jeremy Latchman beginning Dec. 1, replacing James Gunn and Peter Safran after four years as co-chief executives.

Skydance Motion Picture Group announced Monday that Gunn and Safran are stepping down. Their first film as DC leaders, “Superman,” reached theaters only last year. Their four-year run now ends abruptly.

Why did Skydance change leadership?

Gunn and Safran initially survived Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio’s merger with Paramount Pictures was finalized just as DC’s “Clayface” reached theaters. They did not survive the merger.

Skydance chairman and chief executive David Ellison is turning to Latchman, who brings experience from Marvel Studios and two earlier projects with Gunn and Safran.

“James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we’re incredibly proud of,” Ellison said in a statement. “We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand.”

Latchman was a leading Marvel executive during the first wave of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including “Iron Man” and “The Avengers.” He also worked with Gunn and Safran on “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

How will Latchman run the studio?

Latchman will serve as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios. He will report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group.

“Jeremy brings a deep reverence for DC and its passionate fanbase, recognizing that they are the very foundation of this storied, multigenerational brand,” Goldberg and Greenstein said.

The structure gives Latchman control over both the studio’s creative operation and its corporate position within Skydance.

Which projects survive the change?

A long pipeline of projects already in production will keep Gunn and Safran’s fingerprints on DC Studios for some time. The announced slate includes:

• “Man of Tomorrow,” with Gunn currently in post-production on the “Superman” follow-up.
• “The People v. Gorilla Grodd,” an upcoming series.
• “The Batman: Part II,” an upcoming release.

The decade’s worth of planning that Gunn and Safran instituted will no longer come to fruition under their leadership. Their broader strategy favored idiosyncratic comic-book adaptations and genre gambles.

“We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in ‘Man of Tomorrow,’” Gunn and Safran said in a statement.

Gunn was a prodigious filmmaker and an unusual choice for such a prominent corporate leadership role. In exiting DC, he appeared eager to concentrate again on writing and directing.

What did Gunn and Safran deliver?

“Superman” was Gunn’s biggest success while leading DC. It struck a more comedic tone than previous treatments of the hero in Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel.” The film grossed $618.7 million worldwide, below the box-office heights reached by the biggest superhero hits.

“Clayface” fused superhero storytelling with horror and grossed $109 million so far. Earlier this year, “Supergirl” flopped, a major setback in only the second release under Gunn and Safran.

What experience does Latchman bring?

Latchman had been out of the superhero business before his DC appointment. In 2017, he left Marvel to set up Latchman Pictures. He produced films including “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “Bad Times at the El Royale.”

“I’ve had the privilege to help bring some of the most celebrated superhero stories to life on the big screen, and I’m excited and honored for the opportunity to now lead DC Studios into its next era,” Latchman said.

The immediate test for Latchman is delivery on a slate already shaped by Gunn and Safran. “Man of Tomorrow” remains in post-production, while “Supergirl” leaves the new leader a weaker box-office record than “Superman.”