Remember a few months ago when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and Batgirl killer David Zaslav said he wanted a “ten-year plan†for the studio? And before anyone could be like, “That sounds like Marvel,†he was like, yeah, “It’s very similar to the structure that Alan Horn and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige [president of Marvel Studios] at Disney.†Well, that whole thing is coming to fruition! Director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran have been named the co-CEOs and co-chairmen of DC Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “DC has among the most entertaining, powerful, and iconic characters in the world and I am thrilled to have the singular and complementary talents of James and Peter joining our world-class team and overseeing the creative direction of the storied DC Universe,†Zaslav said in a statement. “Their decades of experience in filmmaking, close ties to the creative community, and proven track record thrilling superhero fans around the globe make them uniquely qualified to develop a long-term strategy across film, TV, and animation, and take this iconic franchise to the next level of creative storytelling.â€
Safran and Gunn have superhero experience as both individuals and together. Safran was a producer on DC Films’ Aquaman, among others, as well as Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker series. Not only has Gunn directed Marvel movies in the past, including the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, and executive produced Marvel movies in the past, like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, but he also has a full Marvel movie currently in post-production: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That means that Gunn will be promoting GotG3 while he is the head of DC (not to mention the Guardians Christmas special). Wild!
“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children,†Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement. “Most of all, we can’t wait to bring you all into the story of the DCU.†Their appointments will go into effect on November 1. With Walter Hamada leaving DC this month and Gunn and Safran coming in, this notably leaves the DCU with all-white leadership between Zaslav, Gunn, and Safran, along with Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the co-chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros. Film Group. De Luca and Abdy will remain in charge of The Batman universe that debuted this year with Matt Reeves as director and Robert Pattinson as the titular Batman. That includes the upcoming Arkham Asylum series for HBO Max, which will be led by The Staircase showrunner Antonio Campos, per Variety. Get ready, Batfleck, ’cause DC’s Gunns are loaded and ready to fire.