James Gunn, a director, and Peter Safran, a producer, have been selected as co-chairs of a newly created division under Warner Bros. Discovery to lead DC’s film, TV, and animation business.
In the announcement, it is revealed that Gunn and Safran would serve as co-CEOs of the newly established DC Studios, which will take the position of DC Films inside Warner Bros. Discovery. Gunn will only work with DC throughout the first four years of the four-year contract. The decision also ends a lengthy hunt by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to select a successor to Walter Hamada, the previous president of DC Films, who departed the company.
Although it’s unusual for a filmmaker to be given a top executive position overseeing a whole division, Gunn’s success in the DC universe—his movie The Suicide Squad and HBO series Peacemaker have both been huge hits—as well as his success in the larger world of comic book movies were probably a huge help to him. Safran, a producer with credits on several movies, including previous DC features Aquaman and Shazam!, will concentrate on the commercial and production side of the company while Gunn will focus on the creative side.
According to the article, both are likely to continue directing and producing additional projects. It’s also worth noting that, according to early rumors, the different worlds established by DC, including Todd Phillips’ Joker flicks, will not be controlled by Gunn and Safran. It’s unclear whether Matt Reeves’ The Batman flicks will be included, but any future DC production will be overseen by Gunn and Safran.
