Latest DCEU Shake-Up – James Gunn & Peter Safran Made Co-CEOs of DC Films
James Gunn and Peter Safran are now the head honchos at DC film and animation – is Warner Bros. finally getting its house in order?
In the latest DC films department headlines, Warner Bros. Discovery has finally chosen the leader(s) of DC films and animation. After the departure of Walter Hamada, the head of DC’s projects was the hot seat to fill. Now DC has slipped glass slippers on two of its seasoned producers.
The Deal
The pair will report directly to WBD boss David Zaslav, who’s been on many fans’ sh*t lists for his axing of Batgirl. DC Films, now known as DC Studios, will continue to see Gunn and Safran direct and produce the occasional movie.
According to THR, “Gunn will focus on the creative side of things, while Safran will focus on the business and production side.” The deal will run for four years, and Gunn will work exclusively with DC Studios. Films in their purview will lie in the DCEU continuity of films. Todd Philips’ Joker won’t fall under their command, and it’s unknown yet what (if any) involvement the team will have in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe.
Peter Safran
Fun fact, Peter Safran used to be James Gunn’s manager! So the two are accustomed to working together. He also produced Aquaman and its sequel, plus The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Shazam! and Fury of the Gods. He’s worked with WB for a decade on various projects, including the Conjuring horror films.
James Gunn
As far as comic book movies go, James Gunn put his definitive stamp on the genre with Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy. After being fired by Marvel in 2018, he took his talents to DC Films, where he gave us The Suicide Squad. The success of Squad coupled with the talents and charms of Jon Cena, made the follow-up series Peacemaker a hit for streaming service HBO Max and is cleared for a second season.
Marvel also un-fired Gunn and brought him back for the last Guardians film and the holiday special next month.
Making Gunn the head of DC Studios’ creative vision is, in my opinion, an excellent call. His work in the DCEU has managed to build a more fun, nuanced universe out of something that was unnecessarily serious before (lookin’ at you, Snyderverse).
I have just three specific wishes for James Gunn’s new control over the fate of the DCEU. First, I’m going to need a live-action Bat-Mite as quickly as possible. Second, Nathan Fillion’s TDK is still alive – it’s a fact, not a question. And third, let’s get that Zatanna movie back on the rails.
