James Gunn's DCU Reportedly Safe Following Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger, for Now at Least
UPDATE October 2, 2026, 12:22 p.m. PT: Skydance's David Ellison reportedly told James Gunn and Peter Safran to "keep doing what you're doing" at a meeting that took place earlier this week.
The Hollywood Reporter's sources say the two moviemakers are staying right where they are "at least for the foreseeable future" after they had a positive meeting with Ellison yesterday. They were both invited to stay, with one source saying that Ellison asked them to simply "keep doing what you're doing." He also allegedly visited the Man of Tomorrow set in Atlanta earlier this summer.
Who the two DC Studios CEOs will report to in the immediate future, however, is less clear. Deadline also corroborated reports that Gunn and Safran will continue to build out their DCU as the merger is finalized.
ORIGINAL STORY: DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will seemingly keep their vision for the DCU alive following the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.
Rumors that the two comic book movie executives would be shuffled out amidst the tumultuous merger have swirled for months. Now, as the $110 billion deal comes to a close under its new Skydance banner, it seems Gunn and Safran – as well as the cinematic universe that includes projects like 2025's Superman and Lanterns – are safe.
Puck has reported that both creatives "will be invited to stay on at DC, at least initially" as all the moving pieces come together behind the scenes. What the long-term future holds remains to be seen, but it sounds like more DC movies and shows will continue to fall in line as the DCU navigates its early ups and downs.
Adding weight to the continuation of the current iteration of the DC universe is Gunn himself. After that new Skydance title was announced, the former Marvel director took to Instagram to celebrate the news by sharing its flashy new trailer. Included amongst the cuts of Paramount and Warner Bros. logos are shots from Superman, Robert Pattinson's The Batman, and even the DC logo itself.
"What once was the peak, is now just the beginning," Gunn, echoing the trailer, said in the post's caption.
Gunn and Safran officially took over the DC entertainment business in 2022 and will continue to oversee it – at least through 2027. That's when their contracts are set to expire, and while there are plenty of other projects set to release before then, whether they'll choose to renew under new leadership remains to be seen.
In the meantime, the DCU charges ahead. After Superman started things off with a bang and Supergirl failed to live up expectations, the cinematic universe is just days away from airing the Lanterns Season 1 finale. The Green Lantern introduction series has received praise from critics and fans thanks to strong casting choices in Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Next up for this month is a theatrical release in Batman body horror spinoff, Clayface.
Next year, The Last Son of Krypton will find his way to the big screen once again when Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow premieres in July. With Xolo Maridueña already set to return as Blue Beetle and fans hoping to see Adira Arjona play a new take on Wonder Woman, it's clear there's still room for the DCU to grow.
For more as we wait to see what Gunn and Safran have planned for the future, you can read about the Mr. Terrific TV show that's said to be in the works. You can also see what Pattinson had to say about theories that his Batman may cross over with David Corenswet's Man of Steel.
Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage.