James Gunn and Peter Safran to stay on at DC Studios for now

MUMBAI: The DC universe has dodged another plot twist, at least for now. James Gunn and Peter Safran are set to remain at the helm of DC Studios as the $110 billion Paramount Warner Bros merger moves towards completion, keeping the duo’s plans for the DCU on track.

According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, Gunn and Safran have been invited to stay on at DC Studios following a meeting with Paramount chief executive David Ellison earlier this week. One source told The Hollywood Reporter that Ellison’s message to the pair was essentially to “keep doing what you’re doing”, signalling continuity as the two companies work through the merger.

The meeting appears to have eased months of speculation around the future of the two executives. Rumours had circulated that Gunn and Safran could be moved out as the corporate structure around Warner Bros Discovery changed, but the latest reports indicate that both will continue building the DCU, at least for the foreseeable future.

Ellison has also reportedly visited the set of Man of Tomorrow in Atlanta earlier this summer, adding another indication that the DCU’s current slate remains part of the studio’s plans. Exactly who Gunn and Safran will report to once the merger is completed is still less clear, leaving the corporate chain of command as one of the unanswered questions.

The development comes as the $110 billion transaction reshapes the ownership structure around Warner Bros, DC Studios and its wider entertainment businesses. The deal is moving forward under the new Skydance banner, creating a major transition at a company where Gunn and Safran have been responsible for rebuilding DC’s film and television strategy.

Gunn and Safran officially took control of the DC entertainment business in 2022. Their current contracts run through 2027, meaning the latest decision gives the pair additional runway to develop the interconnected slate they have been putting together since taking over.

Their tenure has already produced Superman, which launched the latest phase of the DCU, while Lanterns has brought the Green Lantern mythology into the new television universe. The series is now approaching its Season 1 finale and has reportedly drawn more than 18 million views per episode globally, according to figures cited by IGN.

The road ahead, however, is not without its bumps. While Superman helped establish the new DCU, Supergirl has been described in reports as falling short of expectations, leaving the studio with the challenge of maintaining momentum across films and streaming projects rather than relying on one successful title.

Lanterns is currently one of the key pieces of that puzzle. The series stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, with its first season helping expand the DCU beyond the big-screen Superman story and giving the franchise another major character-driven entry point.

The theatrical slate is moving ahead too, with Clayface scheduled to arrive this month as a Batman-related body-horror spin-off. The project will add another shade to the DC universe while Gunn and Safran continue to balance established comic-book mythology with new interpretations.

The next major chapter arrives in July next year with Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman. Xolo Maridueña is already set to return as Blue Beetle, while speculation around Adria Arjona potentially taking on a new version of Wonder Woman has added another layer of interest around the film, although the latter remains unconfirmed.

Gunn himself has also offered a public signal that he remains invested in the new corporate direction. Following the announcement of the new Skydance branding, the filmmaker shared its trailer on Instagram, including footage from Superman, Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and the DC logo, alongside the message that what had once been the peak was now just the beginning.

That does not settle every question surrounding DC’s future, particularly with contracts, reporting structures and the wider merger still in motion. But for the immediate future, the creative architects of the current DCU appear to be staying in their seats.

For DC fans, that means the universe built around Superman, Lanterns, Clayface and Man of Tomorrow will continue to take shape under the same leadership that launched it. The corporate story may still have plenty of twists left, but for Gunn and Safran, the latest chapter begins with a relatively simple instruction: keep going.