James Gunn’s DCU Is Reportedly Being Dismantled, and Only Filmed Projects Are Safe

James Gunn’s DCU plans were built to last a decade. When Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters” in January 2023, they laid out a slate that included ‘Creature Commandos’, a Batman film called ‘The Brave and the Bold’, a ‘Booster Gold’ series and a horror-tinged ‘Swamp Thing’.

That roadmap is now in serious doubt. On November 9, Skydance announced that Gunn and Safran would step down as co-CEOs of DC Studios effective December 1, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham taking over as president and chief creative officer. Latcham will oversee DC’s film, television, and animation slate and report to Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

According to a new report from Puck’s Matthew Belloni, plans are already underway to dismantle much of what Gunn and Safran had mapped out. Projects that have already been filmed are expected to survive, but most of the rest of the plan is reportedly being scrapped.

That leaves very little intact. Per the report, only ‘Man of Tomorrow’, ‘The Batman Part II’ and 1 HBO series are safe from the teardown. Belloni also reported that Marvel’s Kevin Feige is a big fan of Latcham. That fits with Latcham’s background as one of Marvel Studios’ earliest employees, often described as Feige’s right-hand man.

James Gunn’s DCU plans will be mostly dismantled, excluding what has already been filmed. (Source: @PuckNews) https://t.co/I59RZYMpeq

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 10, 2026

‘Man of Tomorrow’ is the clearest survivor. Gunn’s Superman sequel is in post-production and set for July 9, 2027, and Gunn and Safran remain attached to projects already in motion. ‘The Batman Part II’ is also safe. Matt Reeves’ sequel, which is separate from Gunn’s DCU, continues under the Elseworlds banner with Gunn and Safran as producers.

The list of projects at risk is long. ‘Swamp Thing’, ‘The Authority’, ‘Booster Gold’ and ‘Paradise Lost’ had all been in development for years without production dates. The ‘Paradise Lost’ series was already scrapped earlier this summer.

Here you go: the #Superman trailer. Krypto, take us home. Watch the teaser trailer now and ❤ this post to get updates from @superman before it hits theaters this July. https://t.co/w77kiKef54

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2024

Gunn’s bigger ambitions are also uncertain. The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Fritz reported that the pair planned to debut Wonder Woman in ‘Man of Tomorrow’, introduce the DCU’s Batman in ‘The Brave and the Bold’, and develop Superman sequels that would gradually evolve into Justice League movies. Neither Skydance nor DC Studios has confirmed whether any of those plans will move forward.

There’s also a personal project on the line. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn was in the middle of writing a third Superman film. Whether it gets made is now up to Latcham and his Skydance bosses.

The decision appears to be driven by business. The Hollywood Reporter said Skydance saw ‘Supergirl’ as a disaster. It also felt that even ‘Superman’, which grossed $618 million worldwide and was profitable, didn’t have the financial or cultural impact expected of a film of its kind.

First trailer for ‘The Batman’ starring Robert Pattinson 🦇 https://t.co/MX6P5QFe6L

— ScreenTime (@screentime) August 23, 2020

Skydance’s vision for the franchise also looks different. The Hollywood Reporter’s sources described Latcham as someone focused on hits for the masses, with tastes closer to Skydance chief David Ellison’s than Gunn’s preference for R-rated swings and lesser-known characters.

The streaming side faces questions too. Gunn’s DCU put much of its edgiest material on HBO Max, including 2 R-rated seasons of ‘Peacemaker’. ‘Lanterns’ wrapped its first season in October, and reports say HBO boss Casey Bloys stated in September that no Season 2 was in development.

First look at Robert Pattinson as Batman in ‘The Batman Part 2’ https://t.co/IF94iZAYd0

— DiscussingPulse (@DiscussingPulse) July 16, 2026

None of this has been officially announced by Skydance. Until Latcham takes over on December 1 and lays out his own plans, these reports offer the clearest picture of where DC is heading. For fans who invested in Gunn’s universe, it’s a difficult moment. After just 3 theatrical films, the DCU may soon look very different from the one first announced.

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