David Ellison’s DC Plan Was Already in Motion Before Gunn and Safran Knew It

The leadership change at DC Studios looks less sudden the more details come out. Skydance CEO David Ellison’s decision to bring in Jeremy Latcham reportedly started taking shape weeks before the public knew anything. In a surprise executive shuffle, James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as CEOs and chairmen of DC Studios, replaced by Jeremy Latcham, who will serve as president and chief creative officer.

For most of the fall, every public signal suggested the opposite. James Gunn and Peter Safran will continue to lead DC Studios once Paramount closes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Deadline reported in early October. Complex also reported that the pair met with Ellison just days before the deal closed and, according to a source, were told to keep going with their work.

That reassurance now looks different in light of a new report from TheWrap. Per one insider, Ellison had been quietly talking with Latcham for over a month before the Paramount-Warner merger closed on Oct. 6. In other words, talks about replacing DC’s leadership were already underway while Gunn and Safran were being publicly told their jobs were safe.

The timing detail stands out. Safran attended a Skydance event that day, and Gunn was listed in the leadership lineup. Neither executive seems to have had any idea a successor was already being lined up.

According to TheWrap, the announcement caught both men off guard. Three insiders said the pair were blindsided and told less than 24 hours before the announcement, while two others said they were told on Friday.

The report also offers a look at Ellison’s thinking. A fourth insider told TheWrap that, during a town hall, Ellison said the company wasn’t interested in protecting the status quo and was focused on building for the future. That attitude fits how quickly things moved once Skydance took over.

Skydance took control of DC Studios 33 days before the change, through the Warner Bros. acquisition. Publicly, Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz thanked Gunn and Safran for leading the studio through a period of real transformation, and also said they expect the pair to help with a smooth handoff.

Ellison went with someone who knows the Marvel playbook well. Latcham was a founding member of Marvel Studios under Kevin Feige, worked on ‘Iron Man,’ ‘The Avengers, ‘ and Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man’ films, and helped shepherd ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Since leaving Marvel, he has produced ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ for Paramount.

His position in the company will also look different from his predecessors’. Latcham will report to Skydance film chiefs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, not to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav as Gunn and Safran did. TheWrap adds that he locked his X account before the announcement, and insiders expect him to keep a quieter, Feige-style social media presence.

The final trailer for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/ecTMB97Sto

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2026

The DCU’s recent results help explain the appetite for change. ‘Superman’ earned $618 million worldwide, but ‘Supergirl’ brought in only $126 million this summer. ‘Clayface’ made $109 million across 3 weekends on a $40 million budget, which TheWrap calls respectable but not the kind of result Skydance is looking for.

The new regime is also reportedly aiming bigger. Insiders expect Latcham – by mandate of Ellison – to get the Justice League back on the big screen as soon as possible. ‘Man of Tomorrow’ is already in post-production and remains the only DC film currently on the release calendar.

Gunn said his goodbye on Monday, and Skydance declined to comment further. Even so, knowing that the talks with Latcham started before the merger closed changes how this ending reads. The handoff now looks planned well in advance.

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