James Gunn and Peter Safran will continue to lead DC Studios after Paramount closes its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, Deadline reports. The James Gunn DCU will remain under its current leadership in the near term, though IGN reports that their existing contracts expire in 2027.
The pair recently met with Skydance co-CEO David Ellison, and the meeting went well, according to Deadline. The report establishes continuity through the ownership transition; neither outlet confirms a new contract or a commitment beyond the current term.
James Gunn DCU plans meet a 2027 deadline
DC’s official release plan lists Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman, for 9 July 2027. The DC announcement places the film near the end of the contract period reported by IGN. The James Gunn DCU schedule therefore has a major theatrical release inside that contract window, but the date does not settle what happens afterwards.
Gunn and Safran were named co-chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios in 2022, with responsibility for DC’s film, television, animation and games slate, according to DC’s announcement. The present reports confirm their near-term continuity, but do not say whether that leadership structure will continue after their contracts expire.
Other Warner Bros leadership questions remain open
Deadline says Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein are expected to oversee the film units at both studios. The outlet also reported that the future of Warner Bros film chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy was unresolved. It did not specify a new reporting line for Gunn and Safran.
Tbreak has previously covered changes to Gunn’s planned DCU slate and Supergirl’s box-office performance. The new coverage answers who will lead DC Studios after the ownership transition, not what happens after the current contracts end.
Have Gunn and Safran signed new contracts?
The reports do not confirm a new contract or extension. IGN says their current contracts expire in 2027.
Does this guarantee Gunn and Safran will lead DC after 2027?
No. The reports establish that they will remain in charge after the deal closes, but do not confirm what happens when their current contracts expire.
