As if making a shocking mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his work in Guardians of the Galaxy wasn’t quite a feat, James Gunn did very well in the DC Extended Universe as well. first delivered the suicide squad in the summer of 2021, and this paved the way for his Lollipop spin-off series, which HBO Max subscribers can watch. While we already knew that Gunn was working on multiple DCEU projects, he is rumored to have gained a powerful new leadership position in the franchise.
THR shared the exciting news that James Gunn and producer Peter Safran have been selected to be co-chairs and co-CEOs of the new DC Studios division. This means that Gunn and Safran will oversee DC’s film, television and animation efforts, with Gunn focusing on the creative side of things and Safran focusing on commercial and production work. The men will report directly to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and will work closely with Warner executives Michael de Luca and Pamela Abdy. Gunn’s contract is for four years and during that time he will work exclusively for DC.
James Gunn confirmed his promotion Twitter, saying “very happy to be here”. This news comes after former DC Films boss Walter Hamada left Warner Bros. Pictures last week. Gunn explained this important DC move in an official statement with Peter Safran, saying:
We are honored to be the stewards of these DC characters that we have loved since we were kids. We look forward to collaborating with the world’s most talented writers, directors and actors to create a multi-layered integrated universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn and the rest of the DC characters is only matched by our commitment to the wonder of human possibilities these characters represent. We are thrilled to reinvigorate the theater experience around the world by telling some of the greatest, most beautiful and greatest stories ever told.
It’s worth noting that not all upcoming DC movies and TV shows will be under the watchful eye of James Gunn and Peter Safran. The THR article mentions this joker 2, in which Joaquin Phoenix will star alongside Lady Gaga and production will begin later this year, will be supervised directly by Michael de Luca and Pamela Abdy. It is also unclear whether Gunn and Safran will work with Matt Reeves to build theirs the Batman universe, which will include spin-offs like The Penguin and potentially villain-focused films like Scarecrow, Clayface, or Professor Pyg.
Although there are already a number of DC inputs lined up for the foreseeable future, including Shazam! fury of the gods, the flash, blue beetle Yes aquaman and the lost kingdom, we now know that James Gunn and Peter Safran will work together to lead the direction of this corner of the DC media empire for years to come, if not much more. And as already mentioned, Gunn getting that executive job at DC Studios doesn’t mean she’s finished creating his own DC projects of him right away. It has already been announced that Gunn will write and direct the entire film Lollipop Episodes of the second season and they would have a few more the suicide squad spin-offs in the works, including an Amanda Waller series directed by Viola Davis. It was also reported last week that Gunn had released a mystery DC movie, and given the amount of power he now wields, it’s a safe bet he’s moving forward.
Now that James Gunn is one of DC’s greatest players, it looks like he’ll be saying goodbye to the MCU for the next semester. First, Special Guardians of the Galaxy holidayl (which released its first trailer today) will premiere to Disney + subscribers in December, then guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 will be released in theaters on May 5, 2023. Stay tuned to 24 News Bulletin for more updates on what Gunn and Peter Safran have in store for the DCEU.
Source: Cinemablend
