James Gunn has been behind some of the most exciting DC projects of the last few years, and now Gunn has been appointed as co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios at Warner Bros. Discovery along with Peter Safran. The newly formed production arm of the studio will be responsible for overseeing DC output from Warner Bros. Discovery going forward.
The new appointment comes hot on the heels of the departure of DC Films president Walter Hamada, whose role is yet to be filled, and is part of the continued overhaul of the DC franchise which has seen a number of priority changes, cancelations and the future creation of a new “Marvel style” ten-year plan for a more cohesive and potentially more lucrative DCEU. In a joint statement, Gunn and Safran said.
“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children. We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multi-layered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told. We’re especially enthusiastic about doing all of this with Mike, Pam, Casey, Channing, and the whole Warner Bros. Discovery team, and are grateful to David Zaslav, whose bold vision for the future of the franchise we share and allows for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Most of all, we can’t wait to bring you all into the story of the DCU.”
What Role Will James Gunn and Peter Safran Have At Warner Bros. Discovery?
James Gunn has directed the recent DCEU hit The Suicide Squad, and has also developed Peacemaker for HBO Max. He has also been reported to be involved in a number of other projects for Warner Bros. Discovery, but his new role will be much more involving than just being about individual projects of his own. After the news broke of the appointment, Gunn was quick to confirm everything on his Twitter account, which led to many fans showing their support for the appointment.
Similarly, British producer Peter Safran has had plenty of previous experience in the DCEU, having produced Aquaman, Shazam, both of their upcoming sequels and Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, as well as a number of other Warner Bros movies outside of the world of DC such as The Conjuring movies.
Together, Gunn and Safran will be overseeing all output from DC Studios when they officially take over the roles on November 1. The all-encompassing joint role will mean that the pair with have sight of all film, TV and animation projects to come out of Warner Bros. Discovery under the DC banner. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who Gunn and Safran will directly report to, said of the appointment:
“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. 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.”
With Gunn and Safran having had a hand in most of the biggest DCEU movies of the last several years, the move seems to be a step in the right direction and one that has been welcomed by fans of the recent DC output of the pair. How all this bodes for the franchise is probably a few years from being fully realized, but the work to make the DCEU a true Marvel challenger seems to begin right here.