James Gunn and Peter Safran will remain at the helm of DC Studios once Paramount closes its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, according to people familiar with the matter. The decision keeps the architect of the label's recent film slate in place while the future of Warner Bros' motion picture group leadership hangs in the balance.
The leadership structure
All film units from both Paramount and Warner Bros will report to Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein under the new Skydance entertainment conglomerate. Warner Bros motion picture chairs Michel De Luca and Pamela Abdy have not yet met with Skydance co-CEO David Ellison to discuss their roles.
The franchise context
Paramount gains a major comic-book franchise to sit alongside Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mission: Impossible. The studio previously distributed Marvel's early films including Iron Man and Thor before Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009.
Production slate
Gunn is currently shooting the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow for a July 9, 2027 release. The label's first lower-budget genre film, Clayface, centered on the Batman antagonist, is dated for October 23. Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II is slated for February 18, 2028.
Box office and streaming performance
Gunn's Superman was Warner Bros' second highest-grossing film last year at $618 million globally. This summer's Supergirl disappointed with $126.4 million worldwide. On streaming, the HBO Max series Lanterns has drawn more than 20 million viewers to its pilot since an August 16 premiere, with its third episode reaching 10 million global viewers in three days.
Background
Gunn and Safran were appointed in October 2022 under a label strategy from then-WBD CEO David Zaslav modeled on Disney's Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar structure. Safran brought the Conjuring franchise and DC titles including Shazam and Aquaman, while Gunn directed 2021's The Suicide Squad and its Peacemaker spinoff.
Paramount and DC did not respond to requests for comment.