James Gunn and Peter Safran are reportedly expected to remain in charge of DC Studios when Paramount takes control of Warner Bros., even as major changes are planned elsewhere in the studio’s leadership.
The news comes from Puck’s Matthew Belloni, who reports that Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy will not remain with the company following the merger. Gunn and Safran, however, are apparently being treated differently.
“I’m told Gunn and Safran will be invited to stay on at DC, at least initially,” Belloni reported.
Belloni immediately added an important caveat: “Again, Paramount is not confirming or commenting on any of this.”
The report provides the clearest indication yet that Paramount doesn’t intend to immediately dismantle the current DC Studios leadership when it assumes control of Warner Bros. But it doesn’t answer the much larger question of what happens to Gunn and Safran once their existing tenure comes to an end.
Gunn and Safran Survive the Initial Warner Bros. Shakeup
Belloni’s wording is important.
Gunn and Safran being “invited to stay on” means they’re apparently not facing the same fate as De Luca and Abdy when the merger closes. It doesn’t mean Gunn and Safran have received new contracts or extensions.
The pair were originally named co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2022 as part of a long-term effort to rebuild Warner Bros.’ DC entertainment business. Their existing arrangements extend into 2027.
James Gunn introduces the trailer for Peacemaker Season 2 – YouTube, DC
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There has been no confirmed announcement that Paramount has signed Gunn or Safran to new agreements extending their leadership beyond those existing deals.
That makes the phrase “at least initially” particularly noteworthy.
Paramount appears willing to allow the current DC Studios operation to continue through the transition rather than installing new leadership as soon as the merger closes. Whether the incoming owners ultimately want Gunn and Safran overseeing DC for another several years remains unanswered.
De Luca and Abdy Face a Different Fate
The contrast with Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy helps clarify what’s happening.
Belloni reports that De Luca and Abdy will not be continuing with the combined company. Their departures are expected as Paramount installs a new leadership structure following completion of the merger.
Gunn and Safran, meanwhile, are expected to remain at DC Studios, at least initially.
Superman and Lex Luthor in a Jim Lee-Created teaser image for the Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow – X, @JamesGunn
In other words, Paramount appears prepared to make an immediate leadership change at Warner Bros. while leaving DC Studios under its existing management for the time being.
There is also a practical reason for avoiding a major DC leadership disruption right now.
Gunn is directing Man of Tomorrow, his follow-up to Superman, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters in July 2027. Replacing the head of DC Studios while that same executive is directing one of the company’s most important upcoming theatrical releases would introduce another layer of uncertainty during an already enormous corporate transition.
Keeping Gunn and Safran in place therefore allows Paramount to inherit an operating DC Studios without immediately disrupting projects already moving through development and production.
No New Gunn Contract Has Been Reported
The key distinction is that remaining through the Paramount transition and receiving another long-term mandate to run DC Studios are two different things.
Belloni doesn’t report that Gunn and Safran have signed new contracts. He doesn’t report that Paramount has extended their existing agreements, nor does he provide a new expiration date for their tenure.
The report is limited to Gunn and Safran being “invited to stay on at DC, at least initially.”
James Gunn and David Corenswet sit for an interview about Superman – YouTube, Fandango
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That means speculation about Gunn being immediately removed once Paramount assumes control of Warner Bros. appears increasingly unlikely based on the latest reporting.
It doesn’t, however, settle what happens beyond 2027.
Paramount and David Ellison will inherit a DC operation with numerous projects already underway, giving the incoming leadership an opportunity to evaluate the franchise and its performance before determining its longer-term direction.
The Bigger Decision Comes Later
For the immediate future, the picture surrounding DC Studios is becoming considerably clearer.
Paramount reportedly intends to make significant changes to Warner Bros. leadership after the merger closes, with De Luca and Abdy among those expected to depart. Gunn and Safran, however, appear positioned to survive that initial transition.
That should put a significant dent in speculation that Gunn will simply be fired the moment Paramount takes control.
The more consequential question may instead come in 2027.
David Corenswet as Superman flying in James Gunn’s “Superman” – YouTube, DC
Unless a new agreement is announced before then, Paramount will eventually have to decide whether Gunn and Safran should receive another mandate to continue overseeing DC Studios or whether the company wants to take DC in another direction.
For now, Gunn appears to have survived the change in ownership. Whether that becomes a longer stay under Paramount remains to be seen.
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