Why Skydance Wasn’t Satisfied With ‘Superman’ Before Gunn’s Exit
James Gunn’s exit from DC Studios surprised Hollywood, and a new report suggests box office results played a big part in the decision. When Skydance announced that Gunn and Peter Safran would step down as co-CEOs on December 1, with former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham taking over, many fans wondered what had changed so quickly.
Just weeks earlier, the duo seemed secure. They met with David Ellison days before the roughly $111 billion merger closed and were reportedly told to keep doing what they were doing. Gunn was even writing a third ‘Superman’ film as part of a planned trilogy, with a Superman movie every 2 years and a possible Justice League team-up.
Now The Hollywood Reporter has shed light on Skydance’s thinking. According to the outlet, the new regime felt that the DC movies released under Gunn and Safran had not been great for business. It saw ‘Supergirl’ as “just a disaster.”
The most surprising detail involves Gunn’s own Superman film. Even ‘Superman’, which grossed $618 million worldwide and was profitable, did not net out, or have the kind of pop culture impact, in the way that kind of movie should, according to Skydance’s thinking.
The ‘Supergirl’ numbers are hard to argue with. The film grossed $126.4 million worldwide against a reported $186 million net production budget. Other reports put its budget at around $170 million, which would still make it the lowest-grossing modern DC film.
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— Superman (@Superman) December 19, 2024
‘Superman’ is a more complicated case. The film earned $618.7 million worldwide, but it cost $225 million to make. It was also Warner Bros.’ second-biggest release of the year, which makes Skydance’s lukewarm view all the more notable. The DCU did have a smaller bright spot. ‘Clayface’ topped $100 million on a $44 million budget, giving the studio its best recent return.
Money wasn’t the only issue. The report says there were several points of tension between Gunn and Safran and Skydance’s film chiefs, Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg. Before the acquisition, Gunn and Safran reported directly to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, and their contracts said they would keep that direct line to leadership after any change in ownership.
Skydance’s film heads wanted DC folded under their movie division instead. In the end, Greenstein and Goldberg prevailed, and Latcham will report to them. Latcham’s arrival points to a new direction. Sources describe him as a down-the-middle filmmaker focused on making hits for the masses and getting people into theaters.
They also say his tastes are closer to Ellison’s than Gunn’s, whose style leaned toward bold humor and lesser-known characters. There’s also a personal connection. Latcham was instrumental in Gunn’s rise, advocating for his hiring on Marvel Studios’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.
The final trailer for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/ecTMB97Sto
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2026
Gunn isn’t walking away from the franchise yet. He will remain active on the ‘Superman’ sequel ‘Man of Tomorrow’, set for 2027, and he and Safran are still producing ‘The Batman: Part II’. In an Instagram post, Gunn said executive life and the studio politics that came with it were not for him.
Whether his larger plans survive is another story. It is unclear whether Gunn will be able to finish his Superman trilogy or the wider DC slate he and Safran announced. With Skydance apparently wanting bigger cultural moments from its heroes, ‘Man of Tomorrow’ could face extra pressure when it arrives.
Do you think Skydance was right to expect a bigger cultural impact from James Gunn’s ‘Superman’?
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