Jim Lee Reportedly Welcomes DC Studios’ New Era After Feeling Sidelined Under Gunn and Safran

The shakeup at DC Studios is still sending shockwaves through Hollywood, and now attention is turning to the comic book side of the company. Skydance, which took over the division through its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, has made former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham the new president and chief creative officer of DC Studios. James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs.

The pair left on gracious terms, at least publicly. In their farewell statement, Gunn and Safran said they had set out 4 years ago to unite DC under one creative vision and had restored ‘Superman’ to the heart of DC. They also offered Latcham their blessing, noting they’ve shared a creative history with him going back to Marvel.

Not everyone at DC is reportedly sorry to see the old regime go. In his latest gossip column for Bleeding Cool, Rich Johnston reports he understands that Jim Lee, DC Comics’ publisher, president, and chief creative officer, has very much welcomed news of Latcham’s appointment. The source is unnamed, so the claim should be treated as unconfirmed.

The report goes further and describes past tension. According to Bleeding Cool’s sources, Lee had previously said he felt held back, even shut out, by Gunn and Safran at DC Studios. That claim is second-hand, and neither Lee nor the former studio heads have commented on it publicly.

DC Comics CCO Jim Lee reportedly is very welcoming of Jeremy Latcham’s hiring as DC Studios CEO. Lee reportedly felt frozen out of the studio by previous co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. Source: @bleedingcool https://t.co/AGMcLAaUwC

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The column also points to Lee’s activity outside DC. His public side projects, including the ‘Comic Shop Talk’ podcast and the $19,000 sale of an ‘Absolute Batman’ comic, have reportedly been interpreted as Lee building his own platform and possibly preparing for an exit. Bleeding Cool presents this as an interpretation, not a stated plan.

That makes the timing of the leadership change interesting. If the reports are accurate, a new executive at DC Studios could change how the film and publishing sides work together. For now, though, none of this has been confirmed by anyone involved.

There may be good news for the publishing division more broadly. Sources say DC Comics escaped Skydance buyouts as profits stay strong, with Absolute Batman helping protect jobs. According to the report, Skydance staff elsewhere were offered buyouts, but no one at DC Comics has been offered a voluntary layoff package.

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The reasons are reportedly that DC is outperforming other departments and that cutting staff could have unpredictable effects. Johnston also adds a note of caution, suggesting this could still change.

The structure around Latcham’s new role looks quite different from his predecessors’. Per Skydance, Latcham will lead DC’s film, television and animation slate, overseeing the creative pipeline, along with production, talent and strategy. Bleeding Cool also notes that, unlike Gunn and Safran, he won’t report directly to Skydance’s CEOs, a sign that theatrical films will drive the strategy.

Gunn and Safran aren’t leaving DC entirely. Skydance says that the duo will “return full time to their creative work,” which includes post-production on the ‘Superman’ sequel ‘Man of Tomorrow’ and work on other DC projects. So their influence on the franchise is far from over.

Latcham brings plenty of superhero experience. He served as a lead executive at Marvel Studios through the MCU’s first few phases and worked with Gunn on the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy. How he works with Lee and the publishing side could shape the next chapter of DC on screen.

For now, the reported tensions remain behind-the-scenes gossip rather than confirmed fact. Still, if Lee really is happy about the change, that could mean closer ties between DC’s comics and its movies under the new leadership.

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