James Gunn and Peter Safran will leave DC Studios' leadership as Jeremy Latcham takes charge. The transition raises questions about their decade-long DC plan while preserving their creative involvement.James Gunn (L), Peter Safran (R) leave DC leadership James Gunn and Peter Safran are preparing to step away from the top jobs at DC Studios, bringing their four-year run as co-chief executives to an end on December 1.

The duo, who were tasked with rebuilding DC's film and television universe, will hand over the reins to former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham, now appointed president and chief creative officer.The leadership change comes four years after Gunn and Safran took charge of DC and began putting together an ambitious, decade-long plan for its superheroes. While they'll no longer run the studio, neither is walking away from the DC universe altogether.

Both will continue to have creative involvement in several projects, leaving the next phase of the franchise in Latcham's hands.Latcham will oversee DC's film, television and animation slate, including its creative pipeline, production, talent and strategy. His appointment also brings a familiar Marvel name into the picture at a time when DC is looking to build on the foundation laid by its outgoing bosses.James Gunn isn't done with DC's superheroes just yetGunn, meanwhile, hasn't exactly hidden how he feels about the executive side of the job.

Reflecting on his time at DC in an Instagram post, the filmmaker spoke about the highs and lows of the role, admitting that being an executive had been “trying, to say the least”. “I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job. Thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that,” he wrote, acknowledging Safran's role in handling much of the business side of their partnership.

The two are now expected to return to creative work full-time.Their exit doesn't mean an immediate goodbye to the projects they've been developing. Gunn's Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman, is in post-production and is planned for release next year.

The television spin-off The People v. Gorilla Grodd is also in post-production, while Gunn and Safran remain producers on The Batman: Part II, which is scheduled to arrive in 2028.

Gunn has also revealed that he's writing another DC film, though he's keeping its identity under wraps for now. He added that the characters introduced during their tenure will continue to be part of the studio's plans even after the leadership change.Skydance chairman and chief executive David Ellison and co-chief executive Ynon Kreiz credited the pair with bringing about a major shift at DC.

In a joint statement, they said Gunn and Safran had “launched a new era for DC Studios” and helped reset its foundation while building a slate they were proud of. They also expressed confidence in Latcham and said they expected a smooth transition.What James Gunn and Peter Safran are leaving behindFor Latcham, the appointment marks a return to a senior studio role.

He was among the early employees at Marvel Studios, joining in 2004 before eventually becoming senior vice-president of production and development. He worked closely with Marvel chief Kevin Feige and was involved in several of the studio's major films, including Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spider-Man: Homecoming.He also has a history with Gunn.

The two worked together on the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy, which helped establish Gunn as a major Hollywood filmmaker. Latcham will now report to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairpersons of Skydance Motion Picture Group.From Iron Man to The Avengers: Latcham's Marvel connectionThe change in leadership has also raised questions about what happens to the larger DC roadmap Gunn and Safran had put together.

Their appointment was meant to give the franchise a more connected direction after years of shifting plans and films that struggled to establish a consistent universe.The pair's run included the release of Superman, Supergirl and Clayface, along with television titles such as The Penguin, the second season of Peacemaker and Lanterns. The results were mixed, with Superman marking a strong start, Supergirl struggling critically and commercially, and Clayface receiving positive reviews and turning a profit.Why the leadership change raises questions about DC's futureTheir departure is particularly interesting given that they were previously believed to be secure in their positions following Skydance's takeover.

Ellison had even visited the set of Man of Tomorrow, which was seen as a sign of confidence in the duo. Gunn had also recently told The Hollywood Reporter that Ellison was well aware of their long-term plans, saying, “David knows everything.

He's been great with us.”Whether the decision to step down was entirely their own or part of a wider change in direction remains unclear. For now, Gunn and Safran are moving away from running DC's corporate machinery, while Latcham gets the responsibility of deciding where its superhero universe goes next.- Ends