Jeremy Latcham will take control of DC Studios on December 1 as Gunn and Peter Safran return to creative roles, leaving several television projects at different stages of development.
James Gunn and Peter Safran will step down from their leadership roles at DC Studios on December 1, putting a new executive in charge of a television slate that includes several shows closely tied to Gunn’s creative plans. Former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham will become president and chief creative officer, giving him oversight of DC film, television and animation projects.
Skydance announced the change on November 9, saying Gunn and Safran will return full time to creative work after four years running DC Studios. Gunn will continue working on Man of Tomorrow, his Superman follow-up scheduled for July 9, 2027, while both men remain involved with other projects already in production.
The shift could be especially important for Peacemaker, the HBO Max series starring John Cena as Christopher Smith. Gunn created the show, wrote most of its episodes and made it one of the clearest links between his earlier DC work and the newer DC Universe.
Peacemaker premiered in 2022 after Cena introduced the character in The Suicide Squad. Its second season arrived in 2025, but the series ended that run without an announcement of a third season.
Gunn said after the Season 2 finale that there were no immediate plans for Peacemaker Season 3. He also said the character remained important to the wider DC Universe and left open the possibility of continuing Peacemaker’s story through other films or shows.
Cena has made clear that he is willing to return. During an October appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he said he understood why larger DC characters could take priority and indicated that he would work with Gunn again if asked.
What the change means for Peacemaker
That leaves Peacemaker in a more uncertain position after the leadership change. Gunn is still part of DC as a filmmaker, but he will no longer be the executive deciding how the overall television slate is prioritized. Latcham will now have that responsibility.
Skydance said Latcham will oversee creative development, production, talent and strategy across DC Studios. He previously worked at Marvel Studios, where he helped develop films including Iron Man, The Avengers and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He also worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy.
Projects already in motion
Some DC television projects appear more secure because they are already well into production. Creature Commandos was officially renewed for a second season in December 2024, and production has continued. James Gunn said earlier in 2026 that the animated series was targeting a 2027 return.
The show also enters the transition with strong reviews. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the first season at 93 percent among critics, based on 42 reviews. That does not guarantee how the series will be handled under new leadership, but its renewal and ongoing production give it more certainty than projects still waiting for orders.
Mister Miracle is another animated project that has moved beyond the early development stage. DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation officially greenlit the series in 2025, with writer Tom King serving as showrunner and executive producer.
Peter Safran said in October that Josh Hutcherson will voice Scott Free, also known as Mister Miracle, while Mackenzie Davis will voice Big Barda. Safran also said the project was far enough along that the studio had seen animatics for the season.
The expected release window, however, is later than some earlier reports suggested. Safran said DC was targeting 2028 rather than 2027, although no specific premiere date has been announced.
Another major series, The People v. Gorilla Grodd, appears likely to survive the leadership transition because filming is already complete. Skydance specifically included the eight-episode HBO Max series in its November 9 announcement and said it is expected in 2027.
The series stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd. It follows Olsen as he reopens the case of the super-intelligent ape, who has been convicted of murdering his father. Gunn and Safran are executive producers.
There is currently no reliable evidence that Skydance or Latcham is considering shelving The People v. Gorilla Grodd. Comparisons to Warner Bros. Discovery’s canceled Batgirl film may show why some fans are cautious, but no official statement or major report has said the completed Grodd series is in danger.
The change comes shortly after Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing DC Studios under new corporate ownership. Reuters reported that Latcham will report to Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein as the company reorganizes its film and television operations.
Other television projects created during Gunn and Safran’s tenure will also move forward under Latcham’s supervision. Lanterns has already been produced, while future projects that have not reached production could be more vulnerable to changes in timing, creative direction or priority as the new leadership reviews the slate.
The larger question is how much Latcham will change the direction Gunn and Safran established. Their DC slate was designed to connect characters across films, live-action television and animation while still allowing some projects to stand on their own.
Latcham has not yet outlined a detailed television strategy. Skydance said Gunn and Safran will help with the transition and continue making DC projects, which could reduce the chance of immediate changes to work already underway.
For Peacemaker, the uncertainty is more significant because no third season has been ordered. Cena remains interested and Gunn still has a creative relationship with DC, but any future series renewal will now be considered under a different studio leader.
IMAGE: Producer Peter Safran and writer/director James Gunn Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassyph/54612387858/ Author U.S. Embassy in the Philippines CC0