James Gunn and Peter Safran named heads of the new DC Studios
Warner Bros. Discovery hands James Gunn and Peter Safran control of DC Studios, the moment that set Superman's big-screen reboot in motion.
On 25 October 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery made the decision that would reshape Superman’s screen future. It named writer-director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran co-chairs and CEOs of a newly organised DC Studios.
What we know
The pair were handed creative control of DC across film, live-action TV and animation, with a start date of 1 November 2022. They reported directly to Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav, working alongside the heads of the Warner Bros. film group, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy.
Gunn and Safran were not newcomers to DC. They had already made The Suicide Squad (2021) and the HBO Max series Peacemaker together, while Safran was also known as a producer of The Conjuring films. At the time, the trade press read the appointment as a bold reset after years of uneven results for the old DC Extended Universe.
Why it matters
Looking back, this was the starting gun for everything Superman fans have enjoyed since. Within weeks Gunn would reveal he was writing a new Superman film, and that project became the foundation of the whole new universe. Read how it all unfolded in our DCU watch order and Superman (2025) guide.
From the archive: written in November 2026 from the original reporting linked below.
Questions
When did James Gunn take over DC Studios?
He and Peter Safran were announced as co-heads of DC Studios on 25 October 2022 and started on 1 November 2022.
Who runs DC Studios?
James Gunn oversees the creative side and Peter Safran the business and production side, as co-chairs and CEOs.
Original reporting
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